Do you know how many rights one Muslim has over another Muslim?
Praise be to Allāh!
This passage outlines six rights that Muslims have over one another, as narrated by the Prophet Muhammad:
- Returning Greetings: When you encounter a fellow Muslim, greet them at least with a warm "Assalamu'alaikum" (peace be upon you).
- Accepting Invitations: If a Muslim invites you to a meal or gathering, accept their invitation whenever possible.
- Giving Advice: If a Muslim seeks your counsel or guidance, offer it sincerely and thoughtfully.
- Responding to Sneezes: When a Muslim sneezes and says "Alhamdulillah" (praise be to Allāh), respond with "Yarhamukallah" (may Allāh have mercy on you).
- Visiting the Sick: If a Muslim is ill, visit him/her. Visiting the sick is a Fard Kifayah (communal obligation).
- Attending Funerals: When a Muslim passes away, participate in his/her funeral procession.
These rights emphasize the importance of kindness, compassion, and community within the Muslim faith and are based on the following hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him):
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Six are the rights of a Muslim over another Muslim. It was said to him: Allah's Messenger, what are these? Thereupon he said: When you meet him, offer him greetings; when he invites you to a feast accept it. when he seeks your council give him, and when he sneezes and says:" All praise is due to Allah," you say Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah show mercy to you) ; and when he fails ill visit him; and when he dies follow his bier. [Sahih Muslim 2162b]
According to another:
Al-Bukhari (1240) and Muslim (2162) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “The rights of one Muslim over another are five: returning the greeting of Salam, visiting the sick, attending funerals, accepting invitations, and saying Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes.”
A little explanation:
Ash-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “What is meant by the words “The rights of the Muslim” is that they should not be omitted and doing them is either obligatory, or encouraged to such an extent that it is very similar to being obligatory and should not be omitted. The word “right” (Haqq) may be used in the sense of obligatory, as was mentioned by Ibn Al-`Arabi.” (Nayl Al-Awtar, 4/21)
and Allāh Knows Best!
