Commentary on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right By Mohammad Sobhanie.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَأمّا حَقُّ الكبيرِ فَإنَّ حَقَّهُ تَوقِيرُ سِنِّهِ وَإجْلالِ إسْلامِهِ إذَا كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْفَضلِ فِي الإسْلامِ بتَقْدِيمِهِ فِيهِ وتَرْكِ مُقَابَلَتِهِ عِنْدَ الْخِصَــــــــــامِ ولا تَسْبقْهُ إلَى طَرِيقٍ، ولا تَؤُمَّهُ فِي طـرِيقٍ ولا تَسْـــــــتَجْهِلْهُ. وَإنْ جَهِلَ عَلَيْكَ تحَمَّلْتَ وَأَكْرَمتَهُ بحَقِّ إسْلامِهِ مَعَ سِنِّهِ فَإنّمَـــــــا حَقُّ السِّنِّ بقَدْرِ الإسْلامِ. ولا قُوَّةَ إلا باللهِ.
Translation: The right of elders is to be respected for their age and honored for their commitment to Islam especially if they are noble Muslims. The young should acknowledge the elder’s seniority, refrain from confronting them in disputes and avoid surpassing or walking ahead of them. The young should treat the elderly with dignity even if they behave foolishly. It is essential to uphold respect for older Muslims. This respect is rooted in the elder’s long-standing practice of Islam. Remember, there is no power except through God.
Commentary:
Life on Earth begins in infancy, progressing through developmental stages: Childhood, youth and adulthood.
And individuals generally reach the peak of physical and mental maturity around the age of 40. After this point, the body and mind often diverge; while the mind may remain mature for some time, the body starts to decline. Eventually, cognitive abilities may fall, leading to a state resembling that of childhood. This process can occur gradually or suddenly. During this stage a person’s movements, thoughts and reasoning may resemble those of a child accompanied by increasing physical weakness.
The movements and moods of children are charming and appealing, suggesting a hopeful and joyful future that makes their behavior easy to embrace. In contrast, similar behaviors in elderly individuals can feel unsettling or unattractive, often evoking discomfort or pity. The challenges of old age can be profound, and the depths of those struggles are often difficult to comprehend fully.
Imam Sajjad (AS) advises to respect the people older than us especially the elders and states their rights incumbent on the younger generation as follows.
- Respect them for their age and honor them for their long devotion and submission to God. Acknowledged them if they possess virtue, and for that virtue, recognized them above others.
- Do not quarrel with them; do not surpass or walk ahead of them and do not treat them foolishly. If they treat you foolishly, be patient with them. This patience is for the sake of Islam and reflects the moral duty to honor elders and their long-standing devotion to God.
In conclusion, the Imam (AS) asserts that individuals’ rights correlate with their devotion to Islam. Thus, elderly people because of their long-standing devotion to God should be treated with honor and respect.
Virtue of Reaching an old Age [1]:
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: إن الله تعالى ينظر في وجه الشيخ المؤمن صباحا ومساء فيقول: يا عبدي كبر سنك، ودق عظمك، ورق جلدك، وقرب أجلك وحان قدومك علي فاستح مني فأنا أستحي من شيبتك أن أعذبك بالنار.
The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: God Almighty looks at the face of the old believer morning and evening and says: “O’ My servant, you have grown old, your bones have become fragile, your skin is thin, your time has come and your arrival to Me is approaching, so be ashamed of Me, for I am ashamed of your old age to torment you with the Fire.”
Note:
[1] https://lib.eshia.ir/11008/73/390
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