38 - شبكة رافـد للتنمية الثقافية

35. Rights of al-Graham
"The right of him who to whom you owe a debt (al-gharim al-muta`kib laka) is that, if you have the means, you pay him back, and if you are in straitened circumstances, you satisfy him with good words and you send him away with gentleness."
The Ima`m, peace be on him, displayed the rights of the creditor against the debtor. It is incumbent on the debtor to pay back his debt when he is rich. He has no right to delay it, for such a delay is a kind of injustice and is forbidden in Islam. If the debtor is in straitened circumstances, he should satisfy the creditor with good words, apologize to him for the delay, and tell him about his incapability of paying him back. As for the treatment with obscene words, it locks the door to kind acts and is one of the ignoble qualities which Allah detests.

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36. Rights of Associate
"The right of the associate (al-khlit) is that you neither mislead him, nor act dishonestly toward him, nor deceive him, and you fear Allah in his affair. And there is no strength save in Allah."
The Ima`m, peace be on him, mentioned the rights of (al-khlit), who is a partner in a mutual property, as follows:
A. You should not mislead him when you sell the property to him.
B. You should not cheat the property when you sell it to him.
C. You should not accuse his claims of lying.
D. You should not make him heedless in any of the affairs of the sold thing; rather you should give him knowledge of it.
E. You should not deceive him in the dealings between him and you.
F. You should do your best to be honest to him when he entrusts his affairs to you. If you cheat him, then such cheating is a kind of usury which Allah detests.

37. Rights of Adversary
"The right of the adversary (khasm) who has a claim against you is that, if what he claims against you is true, you give witness to it against yourself. You do not wrong him and you give him his full due. If what he claims against you is false, you act with kindness toward him and you show nothing in his affair other than kindness; you do not displease your Lord in his Affair. And there is no strength save in Allah."
In this paragraph the Ima`m, peace be on him, speaks about the rights of the adversary who has a claim against you. If what he claims

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against you is true, you give witness to it against yourself. You should not wrong him, for Allah observes him and judges among His servants with the truth. If what he claims against you is false, you should act with kindness toward him, preach to him, and remind him of the hereafter. You should not treat him with rudeness, that he may refrain from his error and falsehood.

38. The Rights of al-Mudda'a` 'alayh
"The right of the adversary against whom you have a claim is that, if your claim against him is true, you maintain polite moderation in speaking to him and you do not deny his right. If your claim is false, you fear Allah, repent to Him, and abandon your claim. And there is no strength save in Allah."
The Ima`m, peace be on him, mentioned the rights of the adversary against whom you have a claim (al-Mudda'a` 'alayh). If your claim against him is true, the Ima`m advises you to refrain from obscene words toward him, to treat him with good words, to prevent from gossip which is useless and does not help you take your right; rather it may take away your argument and loses your right.

39. Rights of al-Mustashir
"The right of him who asks you for advice (al-Mustashir) is that if you consider that he has a correct opinion, advise him to follow it, and if you do not consider it so, you direct him to someone who does consider it so. And there is no force and no strength save in Allah." The right of him who asks you for advice (al-Mustashir) is that you should be sincere in advising him, and spare no effort to give him a correct opinion. You should advise with gentleness, not with rudeness which natures and hearts detest. If you have no correct opinion to profit him, you should direct him to someone who has such an opinion, with this you do him a kind act.

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40. Rights of al-Mushir
"The right of him whom you ask for advice (al-Mushir) is that you do not make accusations against him for an opinion which does not conform to your own opinion. If it conforms to it, you praise Allah. And there is no strength save in Allah."
As for the right of him whom you ask for advice (al-Mushir) , it is that you should not make accusations against his opinion and abstain from his advice. If you make accusations against his opinions, you are not forced to put them into practice. Any how, you should thank him for them.

41. Rights of al-Mustansih
"The right of him who asks your counsel (al-Mustansih) is that you give him your counsel, but you conduct yourself toward him with compassion and kindness. And there is no strength save in Allah."
As for the right of him who asks your counsel (al-Mustansih), it is that you should guide him to correctness and lead him to the truth and guidance. You should counsel him with good words. You have not right to give a counsel which he does not understand, for your counsel will be in vain.

42. Rights of al-Na`sih
"The right of your counselor (al-Na`sih) is that you act gently toward him and give ear to him. If he presents you with the right course, you praise Allah, 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 Allah."
As for the right of your counselor (al-Na`sih), it is that you

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should act gently toward him, honor and magnify him, turn your ear and mind to him, that you may understand and consider carefully his counsel. If his counsel is right, you should thank Allah for it. If it is not right, you should not make accusation against it, for he does his best to counsel you, but he makes mistake, hence there is no harm in it.

43. Rights of al-Kabir
"The right of him who is older than you (al-Kabir) is that you show reverence toward him because of his age and you honor 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 with him and you honor him because of the right of Islam and the respect due to it. And there is no strength save in Allah."
Islam has legislated social morals to build original society. Among them is that you should respect the old one when he has excellence and precedence in Islam. The Ima`m, peace be on him, mentioned these social morals as follows:
A. You should leave off confronting him in a dispute.
B. When you walk along with him on a path, you should not go ahead of him.
C. You should not precede him in a path.
D. If the old one has no knowledge of a certain matter, you should show his ignorance of it.
E. If he shows enmity toward you, you should show forbearance and honor toward him because of his old age and his precedence in Islam.

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44. Rights of al-Saghir
"The right of him who is younger (al-Saghir) is that you show compassion toward him through teaching him, pardoning him, covering his faults, kindness toward him, and helping."
The Ima`m, peace be on him, declares the rights of him who is younger than you as follows:
A. You should show mercy and compassion toward him; you should not treat him with force and rudeness, for they deviate him from the right path and create psychological complexes in him.
B. You should educate and teach him and open for him doors to knowledge.
C. You should treat him gently to attract him.
D. You should help him with his needs.
E. You should cover his faults to help him give them up.
G. You should be kind to him and leave disputing with him, that you may guide him to the straight path.
These affairs, which the Ima`m has declared, set right youngsters and educate them.

45. Rights of al-Sa`'il
"The right of him who asks (al-Sa`'il) from you is that you give to him when you are ready, to accomplish his need when you are able, to supplicate for him concerning what has befallen him and to help him with his request. If you doubt his truthfulness, make accusations against him, and do not determine to give him, be sure that is of the trickery of Satan who wants to repel you from your share and to prevent you from nearness to your lord. Then leave him through covering him over and turn him away from you with good words. If

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you overcome yourself concerning his affair and give to him in spite what has occurred in yourself in respect with him, surely these acts need determination. "
The Ima`m urged the Muslims to be kind to the asker, to help him, and to accomplish his need, that they might achieve social solidarity in Islam and to send away poverty and famine from them. This is in the case when you are sure of the truthfulness of the asker. If you doubt the poor man and accuse him of lying in showing poverty, this accusation may be of the trickery of Satan who intends to deprive you of the immense repayment which Allah, the Exalted, has prepared for the alms-givers. If you oppose this imagination and give the poor man, surely these acts need determination.

46. Rights of al-Mass'u`l
"The right of him from whom you ask (al-Mass'u`l) is that you accept from him with gratitude and recognition of his bounty if he gives, and you accept his excuse if he withholds, and have good opinion of him. Know that if he withholds, he withholds his property, and (you have no right) to blame him for his property. If he wrongs (you), surely man is very unjust, very ungrateful."
The Ima`m, peace be on him, presented the rights of him from whom you ask(al-Mass'u`l). The first of his rights is that you show gratitude toward him and supplicate for him when he honors and gives to you, that you have a good opinion of him when he withholds you. Besides he who withholds the asker, in case of being capable of giving to him, he deprives himself of his property, for Allah has prepared abundant repayment for those who give alms.

47. Rights of al-Sa`r
"The right of him through whom Allah makes you happy (sarrak Alla`hu bihi) is that you first praise Allah, then you thank the person. And there is no strength save in Allah."

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He who hastens to make you happy is among the good people, hence you should thank him for this, remember his favor and kindness to you, repay him for his kind act, that you may encourage him to do such a laudable deed.

48. Rights of him who does Evil Judgments
"The right of him who intentionally does evil judgment to you through a word or an act is that you pardon him. However, if you know that your pardon will harm him, you defend yourself. Allah says: 'Whoever defends himself after he has been wronged(against them there is no way (42:41). And there is no strength save in Allah.'"
The Ima`m, peace be on him, mentioned judges. If they intentionally wrong you through a word or an act, you should forgive them according to the Islamic noble moral traits which urge you to pardon him who does evil to you. If they unintentionally do evil to you, you should not blame them for this.

49. Rights of the people of Creed
"The right of the people of creed (milla) is harboring 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 youngsters in the place of your children."
Muslims have general rights, hence every Muslim should conform to them. They are as the Ima`m, peace be on him, has stated:
A. Every Muslim should show safety, affection, and brotherhood toward all the Muslims.

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B. He should be merciful to them; he should not show haughtiness toward them.
C. He should be kind toward their evildoer; he should not show rudeness toward him, that he may set him right.
D. He should do his best to unify them.
E. He should thank their good-doer for his kind act and encourage him to do such acts which will profit society.
F. He should help them when an enemy attacks them.
G. He should stand their old men in the place of his father, their youths in the place of his brothers, and their youngsters in the place of his children. It is certain that if the Muslims put these rights into effect, they will be one hand, their words will not differ, their unity will not disperse, and the nations of the world will not colonize their homelands.

50. Rights of Ahl al-Dhimma
"The right of the people under the protection (of Islam) (Ahl al-Dhimma) is that you accept from them what Allah has accepted from them and you do no wrong to them as long as they fulfill Allah's covenant and the covenant of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his Household. So fear Allah. There is no force and no strength save in Allah."
These are fifty rights encompassing you. You should not leave them. You should conform to them and put them into practice and ask Allah, Great be His Praise, to help you in this. There is no strength and no force save in Allah, and praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
Islam takes great care of Ahl al-Dhimma, the Jews and the Christians, who are under the protection of Islam. It treats them as it

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treats other Muslims in giving them to enjoy freedom, welfare, security, and tranquillity. The Ima`m, peace be on him, stated their rights as follow:
A. You should accept the laws Allah has legislated for them.
B. You should fulfill the rights Allah has assigned for them.
C. You should judge among them according to what Allah has revealed.
E. It is unlawful for you to wrong them and aggress against them without any right.
With this we will end our speech about the Treatise on Rights, which is the richest Islamic book, and which, though brief, has shown important methods to make the Muslims happy and to set them right.

4. THE BOOK OF 'ALI IBN AL-HUSAYN
Among the works of Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, is a book entitled 'Kita`b 'Ali Ibn al-Husayn', but this book is missing just as many Islamic books are missing. We have found small part of the book which was narrated on his authority by Ima`m Abu` Ja'far Mohammed al-Ba`qir, peace be on him. In the 'Book of 'Ali Ibn al-Husayn' we have found: "Truly no fear shall come upon Allah's friends, nor shall they grieve." This is when they performs Allah's obligations, put into effect the Sunna of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his Household, refrain from what Allah has prohibited, renounce the immediate things of life in this world, wish for that which is with Allah, earn the good provision of Allah, do not want to vie with one another for vainglory or abundance, and spend their money on the rights which are incumbent upon them. Hence

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Allah will bless their earnings and repays them for what they do for the hereafter.¹"
These words praise the friends of Allah, the Exalted, and limit their qualities, which are as follows:
1. Performing Allah's obligations.
2. Putting into practice the Sunna of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his Household.
3. Refraining from what Allah has made unlawful.
4. Renouncing this world.
5. Wishing for that which is with Allah.
6. Earning good, lawful provision.
7. Paying obligatory financial rights which Islam has appointed, such as alms (Zaka`t) and one-fifth (khoms). Hence whoever has such qualities, Allah will bless him and prepare for him Paradise in the Next Abode.

Divan ascribed to the Ima`m
A collection of poems, full of pieces of advice and sermons, is attributed to Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him. A handwritten version of the divan is in the Library of Ima`m Amir al-Mu'minin. Ahmed b. al-Husayn wrote the version and finished writing it on Thursday, Rajab 26th, 1358 A.H. He copied it from a version written by Mohammed b. al-Sayyid 'Abd Allah al-Shu`shtari, died 1283 A.H.
Dr. Husayn 'Ali Mahfu`z published the divan in al-Bala`gh Magazine, no. 8, first year, p. 24, and he said in its introduction: "Three hundred and eighty seven lines of poetry is ascribed to al-Sajja`d (Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin), peace be on him. Our Shaykh, late Mohammed 'Ali al-Tabrizi al-Mudarris, died 1373 A.H., quoted them from the book 'al-Tuhfa al-Mahdiya', printed in Tabriz, 1357 A.H.,
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1 Na`sikh al-Tawa`rikh, vol. 1, p. 947. Al-Nu`ri, Ma'a`lim al-'Ibar.

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and these lines are the second part of the Divan of the Infallible, which he called 'al-Durr al-Manthu`r'. He gave a hand written version with commentaries on the Divan of al-Sajja`d, peace be on him, as a gift to our colleague, meritorious researcher, Murtada` al-Mudarris al-Jahha`r, who lived in Tehran fourteen years ago. The version was written in the early years of the thirteenth century after Hijjra, and it has twenty nine stanzas written in al-Wa`fir meter. Each stanza has five lines ordered alphabetically, so the version has a hundred and forty five lines. If ascribing some poetry to the Ima`m is right, then I think that the meanings of this poetry confirm his words, method, conduct, and guidance."
I (the author) firmly believe that this divan does no belong to Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, not because of its insignificant meanings, but because of its many weak words. Whoever reads al-Sahifa al-Sajja`diya of Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin and his excellent wise sayings finds that the Ima`m used the most magnificent and sweetest words and the most of them in attraction to the reader, for he (Zayn al-'Abidin) was the most eloquent of the Arab community as well as the old sources have not mentioned the divan. Hence this divan was not composed by the Ima`m, peace be on him. I will mention some stanzas of the divan as proof of what I have mentioned.

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All the divan follows such an example of weakness. It is certain that the Ima`m, peace be on him, did not compose it, rather it was composed by some of those who admired his sermons, his pieces of advice, and his wise sayings, so they ascribed it to him. I (the author) firmly believe that this poet had no ability to compose poetry, for he wrote most of the lines in weak words which were poor in the elegance of style.

His Handwritten Works
Dr. Husayn 'Ali Mahfu`z mentioned that some copies of the Qur'an were written by the holy hand of Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, and that they were in the libraries of Shira`z, Qazwin, Asfaha`n, and Mashhad¹"
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1 Al-Bala`gh Magazine, no. 7, first year, p. 59.

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38

35. Rights of al-Graham

36. Rights of Associate

37. Rights of Adversary

38. The Rights of al-Mudda'a` 'alayh

39. Rights of al-Mustashir

40. Rights of al-Mushir

41. Rights of al-Mustansih

42. Rights of al-Na`sih

43. Rights of al-Kabir

44. Rights of al-Saghir

45. Rights of al-Sa`'il

46. Rights of al-Mass'u`l

47. Rights of al-Sa`r

48. Rights of him who does Evil Judgments

49. Rights of the people of Creed

50. Rights of Ahl al-Dhimma

4. THE BOOK OF 'ALI IBN AL-HUSAYN

Divan ascribed to the Ima`m

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His Handwritten Works

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