The Imam (‘a) explained...
The Imam (‘a) explained: لَهُ سَبْعُ حُقُوقٍ وَاجِبَاتٍ، مَا مِنْهُنَّ حَقٌّ إِلاَّ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ وَاجِبٌ، إِنْ ضَيَّعَ مِنْهُ شَيْئاً خَرَجَ مِنْ وِلاَيَةِ اللهِ وَطَاعَتِهِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ للهِ فِيهِ نَصِيبٌ. Muslims enjoy seven rights over one another. Each right is so obligatory that if one violates any of them, he will be cast out from loyalty and obedience to Almighty Allah, losing any share of his relation to Almighty Allah.
“May Allah accept me as ransom for you,” Mu’alla asked, “What are these rights?” The Imam (‘a) replied: يَا مُعَلَّى، إِنِّي عَلَيْكَ شَفِيقٌ أَخَافُ أَنْ تُضَيِّعَ وَلاَ تَحْفَظَ، وَتَعْلَمَ وَلاَ تَعْمَلَ. O Mu’alla, I fear lest you violate and defy these rights or that you learn them but fail to act upon them. “There is no power except with Allah,” answered Mu’alla.
The Imam (‘a) then began to reckon these rights saying: أَيْسَرُ حَقٍّ مِنْهَا أَنْ تُحِبَّ لَهُ مَا تُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِكَ وَتَكْرَهُ لَهُ مَا تَكْرَهُ لِنَفْسِكَ. وَالْحَقُّ الثَّانِي أَنْ تَجْتَنِبَ سَخَطَهُ وَتَتَّبِعَ مَرْضَاتَهُ وَتُطِيعَ أَمْرَهُ. وَالْحَقُّ الثَّالِثُ أَنْ تُعِينَهُ بِنَفْسِكَ وَمَالِكَ وَلِسَانِكَ وَيَدِكَ وَرِجْلِكَ. وَالْحَقُّ الرَّابِعُ أَنْ تَكُونَ عَيْنَهُ وَدَلِيلَهُ وَمِرْآتَهُ.
وَالْحَقُّ الْخَامِسُ أَنْ لاَ تَشْبَعَ وَيَجُوعُ وَلاَ تَرْوَى وَيَظْمَأُ وَلاَ تَلْبَسَ وَيَعْرَى. وَالْحَقُّ السَّادِسُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَكَ خَادِمٌ وَلَيْسَ لأَِخِيكَ خَادِمٌ فَوَاجِبٌ أَنْ تَبْعَثَ خَادِمَكَ فَتَغْسِلُ ثِيَابَهُ وَتَصْنَعُ طَعَامَهُ وَتُمَهِّدُ فِرَاشَهُ.
وِالْحَقُّ السَّابِعُ أَنْ تَبَرَّ قَسَمَهُ وَتُجِيبَ دَعْوَتَهُ وَتَعُودَ مَرِيضَهُ وَتَشْهَدَ جَنَازَتَهُ، وَإِذَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ لَهُ حَاجَةً تُبَادِرَهُ إِلَى قَضَائِهَا، وَلاَ تُلْجِئَهُ إِلَى أَنْ يَسْأَلَكَهَا، وَلَكِنْ تُبَادِرُهُ مُبَادَرَةً، فَإِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ وَصَلْتَ وِلاَيَتَكَ بِوِلاَيَتِهِ وَوِلاَيَتَهُ بِوِلاَيَتِكَ. The easiest of these rights is that you must like for your brother-in-faith whatever you like for yourself and dislike for him whatever you dislike for yourself.
The second right is that you keep yourself away from whatever enrages him, follow whatever pleases him, and obey his instructions. The third right is that you help him with your self, your finances, your tongue, your hand, and your foot. The fourth right is that you act as his eye, guide, and mirror. The fifth right is that you must not eat your fill while he is hungry, quench your thirst while he is thirsty, and dress yourself while he is unclothed.
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