Commentary on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right By Mohammad Sobhanie.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَأمّــــــا حَقُّ الخَلِيطِ فَأَنْ لا تَغُرَّهُ ولا تَغُشَّـهُ ولا تُكَذِبَهُ ولا تُغَفِّلَهُ ولا تَخــــــــدَعَهُ ولا تَعمَلْ فِي انتِقَـــاضِهِ عَمَلَ الْعَدُوِّ الَّذِي لا يُبقِي عَلَى صَـــــــاحِبهِ وَإنِ اطْمَأَنَّ إلَيكَ اسْتَقْصَيتَ لَهُ عَلَى نفْسِـكَ وَعَلِمْتَ أَنَّ غَبْنَ الْمُسْتَرْسِلِ رِِبًا. ولا قُوَّةَ إلا باللهِ.

The right of the Associates

Translation: And the right of the associate is that you should not deceive or cheat him; you should not lie, ignore, or trick him. And you should not treat him as an enemy you would spare no effort to defeat. If he trusts you, you should put him before yourself and know that cheating on someone who has trusted you is considered usury (absolutely forbidden). And there is no power but in God.

Commentary: The word “Muṣāḥib” (مُصَاحِب) means “companion, friend,” and the rights of friends were discussed in Article 33. In this section, the rights of “Kẖalīṭ” (خَلِيط), meaning “associate,” are introduced. While both “friend” and “associate” refer to people with whom we spend time, “friend” emphasizes having shared experiences and a closer, more personal relationship.

These shared experiences value our relationships, making them more than casual connections. In contrast, “associate” suggests a more professional or casual connection, often in a work or social context. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “The happiest people are those who mix with noble individuals.” [1]

أسعَدُ الناسِ مَن خالَطَ كِرامَ الناسِ

Casual friends and colleagues have certain rights that we must uphold. According to Imam Sajjad (AS), their rights are as follows.

Truthfulness: One should always be truthful with colleagues, associates, or casual friends. Hence, Imam Sajjad (AS) says: “Do not deceive or cheat your associates, and do not lie, ignore, or trick them.”

Fairness: We must treat our colleagues and associates fairly. If there is competition or rivalry in the workplace, we should not behave like competitors who will spare nothing to defeat their opponents. Imam Sajjad (AS) said: “Do not treat him as an enemy you would spare no effort to defeat.”

Integrity: Trust is the cornerstone of any relationship, and one should avoid abusing people’s trust. Imam Sajjad (AS) said that if one deceives associates who have trusted in him and causes them harm for their benefit, the benefit he has gained from this is considered usury.

The consequences of such betrayal are severe, as it damages the relationship and the trust that was once shared. Imam Sadiq quoted on the authority of God’s Prophet: “One who is deceitful to a Muslim is not from us” (لَيسَ مِنّا مَن ماكَرَ مُسْلِماً).

Translation of Phrases:

Note:

[1] https://www.hadithlib.com/hadithtxts/view/1203485

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