Reciprocal Rights (risalatu 'l-huquq)

Foreword

Reciprocal Rights (Risalatu 'l-Huquq) is one of the most well known works narrated from the fourth Shi'i Imam Abu Muhammad Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon them (38/659 — Imamate 61/680—94 or 95/712 or 713). The famous and trustworthy Imami Traditionist Abu Hamzah at-Thumali narrated it from him, and Abu Ja'far ash-Shaykh as-Saduq al-Qummi included his narration in several works.' Ibn Su'bah and at-Tabrisi also give the Tradition, but, following their usual practice, without a chain of transmission.' The Allamah al-Majlisi included it in his Biharu 'l-anwar, first with the chains of transmission from al-Khisal and al-Amali,3 and then with the chain of transmission from Tuhafu1 `uqul,4 then he says: `We give this twice because of the enormous difference between the [two versions] ,

the strength of the first [transmission] , and the great usefulness of the second.' As al-Majlisi says, there are many differences between the version of as-Saduq and that of Ibn Shu'bah: the text which as-Saduq narrates contains all the rights which the Imam (p.b.u.h.) mentions — fifty in all —, while that narrated by Ibn Shu'bah does not contain as many rights, al-though it is considerably longer since it contains comments given by the Imam, right by right.

The late as-Sayyid Abdu 'r-Razzaq al-Musawi al-Muqarram gives the Risalatu 'l-Huquq and its differ-ent texts in his book on the Fourth Imam,' where he mentions the differences which distinguish the texts from each other.

It is through the success given by Allah, praise be to Him, that the learned as-Sayyid Said Akhtar ar-Radawi has translated this work into English, chosing the longer text narrated by Ibn Shu'bah in Tuhafu '1-`uqul. And it is through the success that Allah, praise be to Him, has granted us that we have published this English translation, printing it with the parallel Arabic text. We beseech and implore Allah to ensure that our endeavours serve solely His noble ends, and to guide us to that in which the good of the Muslims resides, for He is the best Master and the most excel-lent Protector.

World Organization for Islamic Services, (Board of Writing, Translation and Publication)

25/1/1412 6/8/1991 Tehran, Iran.

NOTES:

  1. Using two chains of transmission, both of which originate from Abu Hamzah ath-Thumali in: (i) al-Khisal, vol.2, ch.50 onward, pp-564-70, pub. by Maktabah as-Saduq, Tehran; and (ii) al Amali, 59th majlis, pp.368–75, pub. by Maktabah Islamiyyah, Tehran; Faqih man la yahduruhu 'l-faqih, vol.2, sect. hajj, ch. al-huquq, pp.376–81, an-Najaf al-Ashraf (Iraq) ed.

  2. Ibn Shu'bah, Tuhafu 'l-'uqul, pp.255–72, pub. by Jami`ah al-Mudarrisin, Qum (Iran); al-Hasan ibn al-Fadl at-Tabrisi, Makarimu 'l-akhlaq, pp.219–24, pub. by al-A`lami, Beirut.

  3. Biharu 'l-anwar, vol.74, Kitabu 'l-'ishrah, ch. Jawami'u 'l-huquq, pp.2–9, pub. by Maktabah Islamiyyah, Tehran.

  4. ibid. pp.10–21.

  5. al-Imam Zaynu 'l-Abidin, 'alayhi 's-salam, pp.1 18–32, an-Najaf al-Ashraf ed.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE

THIS is the translation of the booklet of our al-Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn Zaynu 'l-Abidin, peace be upon him, known as Risalatu 'l-Huquq (The Book of Rights). In this Risalah, the Imam has explained in clear terms all the obligations [fifty in all] which a man is expected to fulfill in his life. The original is reported in Tuhafu 'l-'uqul `an ali 'r-rasul of ash-Shaykh Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn, Ibn Shu'bah al-Harrani who was a contemporary of ash-Shaykh as-Saduq [4th c. AH ] , and one of the accepted authorities of the Shiite sect. His book has been treated with reverence in every age.

My translation is very imperfect, because I cannot hope to find words to convey the shades of the con-notations implied in the original phrases.

that this translation will provide a window through which readers will be able to catch a glimpse of the sublime ethics of Islam.

The original hadith (tradition) has no paragraphing or subheadings, nor are there any punctuation marks or numbers. These have been added in the translation to make it more comprehensible to readers who are used to such aids in reading.

This translation had appeared in instalments in the bi-monthly, "The Light" [Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania]. The Peermahomed Ebrahim Trust [Karachi, Pakistan] then published this most comprehensible and concise charter of human rights as a booklet named "Reciprocal Rights". Now the World Organization for Islamic Services [ W O F I S ] is reprinting it for wider circulation. I have revised the translation for this edition.

Saeed Akhtar Rizvi 5th Sha`ban 1409 13th March 1989