Commentary on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right by Mohammad Sobhanie.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَأَمّا حَقُّ أَخِيكَ فَتَعْلَمَ أَنّهُ يَدُكَ الَّتِي تَبسُطُهَــــــا، وَظَهْرُكَ الَّذِي تَلْتَجِئُ إلَيـــــــــــهِ، وَعِزُّكَ الَّذِي تَعْتَمِدُ عَلَيهِ، وَقُوَّتُكَ الَّتِي تَصُولُ بهَـــا، فَلا تَتَّخِذْهُ سِلاحًا عـــَلَى مَــعــْصــِيـةِ اللَّهِ ولا عُدَّةً لِلظُّلْمِ بحَــــــــــقِّ اللَّهِ، ولا تَدَعْ نُصْرتَهُ عَلَى نفْسِــــــــهِ وَمَعُونتِهِ عَلَى عَدُوِّهِ وَالْحَوْلَ بَيْنَهُ وبَيْنَ شَيَاطينهِ وتَأْديَةِ النَّصِيحَةِ إلَيهِ والإقبَالِ عَلَيْهِ فِي اللَّهِ فَــــــــــإنْ انقَادَ لِرَبهِ وَأَحْسَنَ الإجَابَةَ لَهُ وَإلاّ فَلْيَكُنِ اللهُ آثرَ عِنْدَكَ وَأَكْرَمَ عَلَيْكَ مِنْهُ.
The Right of the Brother (25th)
As for your brother’s right over you, know he is a supportive hand you can rely on to meet your needs. He is a source of support you can turn to, a source of pride you can lean on, and a driving force that helps you move forward. Therefore, do not use him as a tool to disobey Allah (SWT) or violate the rights of God’s creatures.
Do not forget to support him through his inner struggles, defend him against his foes, and guard him against his demons (going astray). Provide him with sound advice and associate with him for the sake of Allah (SWT). If he submits to his Lord and responds to God well, then that’s good. Otherwise, let Allah (SWT) be more precious and honorable to you than him.
Commentary:
Imam Sajjad (AS) emphasized that a brother is not just a sibling but also a vital source of support during difficult times, helping one find the strength to overcome challenges. Therefore, one should never misuse a brother to commit sin and injustice to others.
As we depend on our siblings’ help and support, we should also support and favor them in times of need. Imam Sajjad (AS) advises that we should:
- Support our brothers as they navigate their internal struggles, (نُصْرتَهُ عَلَى نفْسِــــــــهِ)
- Protect them from their enemies, (وَمَعُونتِهِ عَلَى عَدُوِّهِ)
- Keep them on the right path and prevent them from going astray, (وَالْحَوْلَ بَيْنَهُ وبَيْنَ شَيَاطينهِ)
- Provide them with sound advice. (وتَأْديَةِ النَّصِيحَةِ إلَيهِ)
If they listen, submit to their Lord, and respond to God well, the Imam (AS) advised that we should continue to love and support them. But if they go astray, then let Allah be more beloved and honorable to us than them.
Hazrat Abbas (AS) a Role Model as a Brother: In his remarkable life, Hazrat Abul Fazl Abbas (AS) exemplified the essence of brotherhood and is widely regarded as a model. From early childhood, he always fulfilled the rights outlined in the Qur’an and hadiths towards his brothers in the best possible way.
On the eve of the 9th of Muharram, Shimr stood at a distance outside Imam Hussain’s camp and called out to the sons of Ummul-Banin, who belonged to the same clan as him. Imam Hussain instructed his brothers, “Respond to him, even if he is a transgressor.” Hazrat Abbas (AS) and his brothers emerged from the tents and asked Shamir, “What do you want?”
Shimr replied: “O’ children of Ummul-Banin! I have a document that guarantees your safety. Do not fight alongside Imam Hussain (AS); instead, obey Yazid.” Hazrat Abbas (AS) shouted back: “Shimr, may God curse you! Are you asking us to obey Yazid and abandon our brother?”
On the Day of Ashura, he rode his horse to the River of Al-Gamah to fill his water skin with water. After filling it, he returned swiftly to the tents with thirsty children and women. While riding, the enemy severed his right hand. Undeterred, he continued to hold the water skin with his left hand and swiftly rode back to the tents, reciting the following poems:
By God, if you cut off my right hand, I will always defend my religion and a true and faithful Imam (AS), the son of the pure and trustworthy Prophet (PBUH).
واللهِ إن قَطعتُمُ يمينــــي
إنّي أُحامِي أَبَداً عن دِيني
وعنْ إمامٍ صَادِقِ اليَقِينِ
نَجْلِ النّبيِّ الطــاهِرِ الأَمينِ
Brotherhood In Islam: The Qur’an states that believers are brothers in faith, which implies that they have specific rights and responsibilities toward one another. Many narrations detail the various rights believers hold over each other, such as the rewards of interacting with fellow believers and the significance of physical gestures like shaking hands, hugging, and keeping them in our thoughts. Furthermore, the text highlights the importance of meeting the needs of fellow believers and helping to alleviate their sadness and pain.
In this context, we will mention a narration from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) regarding the thirty rights of a believer on his fellow believers.,:
قالَ رَسُولُ اللّهِ(صلی الله علیه وآله) لِلْمُسْلِمِ عَلَی أَخِیهِ ثَلَاثُونَ حَقّاً، لَا بَرَاءَةَ لَهُ مِنْهَا إِلَّا بِالْأَدَاءِ أَوِ الْعَفْوِ.
The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: A Muslim has thirty rights over his brother and cannot be absolved from fulfilling them unless his brother forgives him. These rights include:
یَغْفِرُ زَلَّتَهُ، وَ یَرْحَمُ عَبْرَتَهُ، وَ یَسْتُرُ عَوْرَتَهُ، وَ یُقِیلُ عَثْرَتَهُ، وَ یَقْبَلُ مَعْذِرَتَهُ، وَ یَرُدُّ غِیبَتَهُ، وَ یُدِیمُ نَصِیحَتَهُ، وَ یَحْفَظُ خُلَّتَهُ، وَ یَرْعَی ذِمَّتَهُ، وَ یَعُودُ مَرْضَتَهُ.
He forgives his slip, has mercy on his tears (grief), covers his faults, forgives his mistakes, accepts his excuses, defends him against those who speak ill of him in his absence, continues to advise him (wishes him well), protects his friendship, fulfills his promises, and visits him when he is sick.
وَ یَشْهَدُ مَیِّتَهُ، وَ یُجِیبُ دَعْوَتَهُ، وَ یَقْبَلُ هَدِیَّتَهُ، وَ یُکَافِئُ صِلَتَهُ، وَ یَشْکُرُ نِعْمَتَهُ، وَ یُحْسِنُ نُصْرَتَهُ، وَ یَحْفَظُ حَلِیلَتَهُ، وَ یَقْضِی حَاجَتَهُ، وَ یَشْفَعُ مَسْأَلَتَهُ، وَ یُسَمِّتُ عَطْسَتَهُ.
He attends his funeral, accepts his invitation, receives his gift, and reciprocates with his own gift. He thanks him for his kindness, supports him in the best way possible, protects his family, fulfills his needs, intercedes for his requests, and wishes him God’s blessing when he sneezes.
وَ یُرْشِدُ ضَالَّتَهُ، وَ یَرُدُّ سَلَامَهُ، وَ یُطَیِّبُ کَلَامَهُ، وَ یُبِرُّ إِنْعَامَهُ، وَ یُصَدِّقُ أَقْسَامَهُ، وَ یُوَالِی وَلِیَّهُ وَ لَایُعَادِ بِهِ، وَ یَنْصُرُهُ ظَالِماً وَ مَظْلُوماً: فَأَمَّا نُصْرَتُهُ ظَالِماً فَیَرُدُّهُ عَنْ ظُلْمِهِ، وَ أَمَّا نُصْرَتُهُ مَظْلُوماً فَیُعِینُهُ عَلَی أَخْذِ حَقِّهِ،
He guides him to what he has lost, returns his greeting, does not be suspicious of his word, values his favor, confirms his oaths, remains loyal to his friends, and does not harbor hostility towards them. He supports him whether he is an oppressor or oppressed. Supporting him when he is an oppressor prevents his oppression while supporting him when he is oppressed helps him secure his rights.
وَ لَایُسَلِّمُهُ وَ لَایَخْذُلُهُ، وَ یُحِبُّ لَهُ مِنَ الْخَیْرِ مَا یُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ، وَ یَکْرَهُ لَهُ مِنَ الشَّرِّ مَا یَکْرَهُ لِنَفْسِهِ:
He does not leave him alone in the face of events, nor will he let him down. He loves for him the good that He loves for himself and hates for him the evil that he hates for himself.
ثُمَّ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ يَقُولُ إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَدَعُ مِنْ حُقُوقِ أَخِيهِ شَيْئاً فَيُطَالِبُهُ بِهِ يَوْمَ اَلْقِيَامَةِ فَيُقْضَى لَهُ وَ عَلَيْهِ.
Then, Imam Ali (AS) said: I heard the Prophet (SAWA) saying, “If any of you fail to fulfill the rights of his brother, he will demand them from you on the Day of Resurrection. Judgment will be in your favor or against you.”
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