Treatise On Rights

The right of the people under the protection [of Islam] (dhimma) is that you accept from them what God has accepted from them and you do no wrong to them as long as they fulfil God’s covenant.

وحق الذمة أن تقبل منهم ما قبل الله عز وجل [منهم] ولا تظلمهم ما وفوا لله عز وجل بعهده

The right of the people of your creed (milla) is harbouring safety for them, compassion toward them, kindness toward their evildoer, treating them with friendliness, seeking their well-being, thanking their good-doer, and keeping harm away from them. You should love for them what you love for yourself and dislike for them what you dislike for yourself. Their old men stand in the place of your father, their youths in the place of your brothers, their old women in the place of your mother, and their young ones in the place of your children.

وحق أهل ملتك إضمار السلامة لهم والرحمة لهم، والرفق بمسيئهم وتألفهم واستصلاحهم، وشكر محسنهم وكف الأذى عنهم، وتحب لهم ما تحب لنفسك، و تكره لهم ما تكره لنفسك، وأن تكون شيوخهم بمنزلة أبيك، وشبابهم بمنزلة اخوتك، وعجائزهم بمنزلة أمك، والصغار بالمنزلة أولادك

The right of him who does evil to you is that you pardon him. But if you know that your pardon will harm him, you defend yourself. God says, Whosoever defends himself after he has been wronged – against them there is no way (42:41).

وحق من ساءك أن تعفو عنه وإن علمت أن العفو يضر انتصرت قال الله تبارك وتعالى “ولمن انتصر من بعد ظلمه فأولئك ما عليهم من سبيل” (الشورى/41)

The right of him through whom God makes you happy (surur) is that you first praise God, then you thank the person.

وحق من سرك الله تعالى به أن تحمد الله عزوجل أولا ثم تشكره

The right of him from whom you ask is that you accept from him with gratitude and recognition of his bounty if he gives, and you accept his excuse if he withholds.

وحق المسؤول إن أعطى فاقبل منه بالشكر والمعرفة بفضلة، وإن منع فاقبل عذره

The right of him who asks (sa’il) from you is that you give to him in the measure of his need.

وحق السائل إعطاؤه على قدر حاجته

The right of him who is younger (saghir) is that you show compassion toward him through teaching him, pardoning him, covering his faults, kindness toward him, and helping him.

وحق الصغير رحمته في تعليمه والعفو عنه والستر عليه والرفق به والمعونة له

The right of him who is older than you (kabir) is that you show reverence toward him because of his age and you honour him because he entered Islam before you. You leave off confronting him in a dispute, you do not precede him in a path, you do not go ahead of him, and you do not consider him foolish. If he should act foolishly toward you, you put up with him and you honour him because of the right of Islam and the respect due to it.

وحق الكبير توقيره لسنه، وإجلاله لتقدمه في الإسلام قبلك، وترك مقابلته عند الخصام، ولا تسبقه إلى طريق، ولا تتقدمه، ولا تستجهله وإن جهل عليك احتملته وأكرمته لحق الإسلام وحرمته

The right of your counselor (nasih) is that you act gently toward him and give ear to him. If he presents you with the right course, you praise God, but if he does not agree with you, you show compassion toward him and make no accusations against him; you consider him to have made a mistake, and you do not take him to task for that, unless he should be deserving of accusation. Then attach no more importance to his affair. And there is no strength save in God.

وحق الناصح أن تلين له جناحك وتصغي إليه بسمعك، فان أتى بالصواب حمدت الله عز وجل وإن لم وافق رحِمته ولم تتهمه وعلمت أنه أخطأ ولم تؤاخذه بذلك إلا أن يكون مستحقا للتهمة، فلا تعبأ بشيء من أمره على حال ولا قوة إلا بالله

The right of him who asks your counsel (mustansih) is that you give him your counsel, but you conduct yourself toward him with compassion and kindness.

وحق المستنصح أن تؤدي إليه النصيحة، وليكن مذهبك الرحمة له والرفق به