One Hundred And Fifty Lessons For Life

Lesson Twenty Five: A Healthy Social Life

Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) said:

"لوْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ أَدَّوْا حُقُوقَ أَمْوَالِهِمْ لَكانُوا عايِشِينَ بِخَيْر"

Translation

If people honor the rights of each other and fulfill requirements of the poor, they will enjoy a good and satisfactory life.[^1]

Brief Description

The above tradition emphasizes the wisdom of the Islamic obligations placed on the rich to pay to the poor out of their property and savings and the obligation on everyone to respect and honor the rights of others. It clarifies that this is not merely a matter of morality or religious compliance. Rather it is an extremely important social principle with a strong bearing on the peace and prosperity of society.

One only has to look at the turmoil in the world today to appreciate the value of this gem from the treasures of Islamic knowledge. Dangerous reactions of the poor masses caused by class exploitation and unfair concentration of wealth in the hands of a few are tearing at the fabric of societies today. Peace and love are in short supply, violence and misery abound.

[^1]: Wasa’il ‘ush-Shi’a, volume 6, page 2