The Right of Hands (7th): Commentary on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right by Mohammad Sobhanie.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَأَمَّا حَقُّ يَدِكَ فَأَنْ لا تَبْسُطَهَا إلَى مَا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ فَتَنَالَ بمَا تَبْسُطُهَا إلَيْهِ مِنَ اللهِ الْعُقُوبَةَ فِي الأَجَلِ، وَمِنَ النَّاسِ بلِسَانِ اللائِمَةِ فِي الْعَـاجِلِ، وَلا تَقْبضَهَا مِمَّا افْتَرَضَ اللهُ عَلَيْهَا وَلَكِنْ تُوَقِّرَهَا بقَبْضِهَا عَنْ كَثِيرٍ مِمَّا يَحِلُّ لَهَا وبَسْطِهَا إلَى كَثِيرٍ مِمَّا لَيسَ عَلَيْهَا، فَإذَا هِيَ قَدْ عُقِلَتْ وَشُرِّفَتْ فِي الْعَاجِلِ وَجَبَ لَهَا حُسْنُ الثَّوَاب فِي الآجِلِ
The Right of Hands
And the right of your hand is to withhold them from engaging what is forbidden to you. Otherwise, Allah (SWT) will punish you in the Hereafter, and the people in this world will rebuke you. (Instead), let your hands reach out to perform what Allah (SWT) has obligatory for them.
Honor your hands by withholding them from engaging in forbidden deeds and employing them in righteous deeds. If you stop your hands from meddling in illicit deeds and honor them by engaging in virtuous acts in this world, a good reward will be due to your hands in the Hereafter.
Commentary:
Hands symbolize power, strength, and generosity. For instance, the Qur’an in verse 3:26 (Aal-e-Imran) says, “In Your (God’s) hand is (all) good.[1]” Verse 48:10 (Al-Fat’h) says, “The hand of God is over their hands[2].” As mentioned in these two verses, the hand is a metaphor for might and power.
Verse 39:41 (Ar-Rum 30:41) attributes our deeds to our hands, even if other body organs have done them. For instance, one may accuse another person with his tongue. But the action is attributed to the hand since the hand manifests human power and strength.
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ … ﴿٤١﴾
30:41 Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by (reason of) what the hands of people have earned.
With the hand, you can steal or give to charity, commit an act of violence or caress the head of an orphan. In general, one uses their hands for virtuous causes or wicked ones. Therefore, Imam Sajjad (AS) said, “And the right of your hand is to withhold them from engaging what is forbidden to you. Otherwise, Allah (SWT) will punish you in the Hereafter, and the people in this world will rebuke you. Instead, let your hands reach out in performing what Allah (SWT) has made obligatory for them.” Examples of what Imam Sajjad (AS) said include helping the poor and needy or supporting friends and family in their time of need. Further explanation is provided by Imam Sadeq (AS), who said[3]:
وفرض الله على اليدين أن لا يبطش بهما إلى ما حرم الله وأن يبطش بهما إلى ما أمر الله عز وجل وفرض عليهما من الصدقة وصلة الرحم والجهاد في سبيل الله والطهور للصلاة،
Allah (SWT) made it incumbent upon the hands to withhold from what God has forbidden and to reach out what God has decreed for them to do. This includes giving charity, establishing ties of kinship, fighting in the way of God, and making ablutions for the prayers.”
The Imam (AS) said that one should respect their hands by withholding them from engaging in forbidden deeds and employing them in righteous deeds. According to verse 24:24 (An-Nur), the body’s organs will testify on the Day of Judgment whether we maintained their respect in this world.
يَوْمَ تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾
24:24 On a Day when their tongues, their hands and their feet will bear witness against them as to what they used to do
To conclude, the Imam said, “If you stop your hands from meddling in illicit deeds and honor them with engaging in virtuous acts in this world, a good reward will be due to your hands in the Hereafter.”
Acknowledgment:
The text is based on “Commentary on Imam Al-Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right” by Grand Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani.
Notes:
[1] 3:26 (Aal-e-Imran) (بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ)
[2] 48:10 (Al-Fat’h) (يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ)
[3] The Book of Al-kafie, Vol.2, P.36 الكافي – الشيخ الكليني – ج ٢ – الصفحة ٣٦ (shiaonlinelibrary.com)
