Reciprocal Rights (risalatu 'l-huquq)

B. Rights of Acts

  1. As for the right of ritual prayer (salat) is that

you must know that it is an arrival before God and that through it you are standing before God. When you realize it, then your stand will be that of a humble [servant of God], longing [for His grace], afraid [of His punishment] , fearing [His displeasure] , hoping [for His mercy], poor, imploring [His kindness], respecting the One in Whose presence you stand with calm and quite, showing reverence in your limbs, submitting your soul to Him, telling Him the secrets of your heart in a fine manner, asking Him to emancipate you from the sins which have enslaved you and the mistakes which have ruined you. And there is no power save in God.

  1. As for the right of fasting (sawm) is that you should recognize it as a curtain which God has set up over your tongue, your hearing, your sight, your pri-vate part and your stomach to protect you from the Fire; and it has come in hadith [from the Prophet] that "Fasting is a shield against the Fire".

Therefore if you keep your organs calm and quite inside this curtain, you may expect them to remain shielded; and if you allow them to remain disturbed behind the curtain trying to raise the corners of this cover, so that they come to know what is not lawful to them through glance which causes a desire and a .power which is beyond the boundary of taqwa (fear of God) you cannot be sure that it will not tear down the curtain and escape. And there is no power save in God.

  1. As for the right of alms (sadaqat) is that you should treat it as your deposit with your Lord, and a trust which needs no witness. When you know this you will have more confidence in that saving which is deposited secretly rather than that which is given openly; and it behoves you to keep secret with God whatever you may desire to disclose; and this should always remain as a secret between you and Him, and you should not try to get witnesses to see or hear about this [alms] . Otherwise it will be an indication that you have more confidence in witnesses than in your Lord concerning the [ultimate] return of this trust to you.

Moreover, you should not make anyone feel obliged to you [because you have given him alms] as this alms is [actually] for your own benefit. If you made him feel obliged to you, how could you be sure that you yourself would not be in his position [in the future], because your behaviour would show that you had not deposited that alms for your own benefit. Had you felt that it was for your own benefit, you would not have demanded obligations from others. And there is no power save in God.

  1. As for the right of the sacrificial offering (hadyy) is that it should be offered with pure inten- tion for your Lord, seeking His mercy and acceptance, and not for the eyes of the onlookers. When you sac-rifice according to this [standard], you will not be a showy and exhibiting person, but will only he seeking [the pleasure] of God.

And know that God is sought through what is con-venient [to you] , not through what is difficult; as He Himself has made the rules easier for His creatures, and has not intended to make them suffer hardship. Also humbleness is better than grandiosity for you, because pomposity and extravagance are the lot of self-important persons. And as for humbleness and modesty, there is no pretension or waste in them, because they are natural and are present in the human character. And there is no power, save in God.

C. Rights Of Leaders

  1. As for the right of your ruler (sultan) is that you should know that you have been made a trial (fitnah) for him and that he is on test through you by the power he has been granted by God over you. And you should sincerely wish him well without quarelling with him, because his hands are strongly upon you and [by opposing him] you would be a cause of your own destruction and also of his destruction. And beseech his pleasure with humbleness and courtesy as much as is useful in averting his harm from you and does not interfere with your religion; and ask the help of God in this task.

And do not indulge in opposition to, or hatred of him because if you did so, you would be ungrateful to him [because if, as a result of this hatred, he was unjust to you he would be disgraced before God] and ungrateful to yourself [because you made yourself a target for his tyranny], and thus you would be counted as his helper against yourself and his partner in whatever he did against you. And there is no power, save in God.

  1. As for the right of your guide (sa'is) in know-ledge is to magnify him, to respect his session, to listen to him intently facing towards him, and to help him to teach you [the] knowledge [which you can-not do without] by reserving for him your intellect with presence of mind, and purity of heart and clarity of vision, by abstaining from pleasures and by having few desires.

And you should know that you are his messenger [in whatever he teaches you] to those ignorant people who may come to you. So, it is necessary for you to deliver his message to them beautifully, and not to commit any breach of trust while conveying his mess-age, and to fulfil your duty on his behalf when you have undertaken it.

And there is no power and no strength save in God.

  1. As for the right of your master in property, it is like that of your ruler, except that the former has more power over you than the latter.

You should obey him in all big and small matters except when this obedience goes against obedience to God and hinders you from fulfilling your duties towards God and His creatures. [In that case you should not obey him but should perform the aforesaid duties.] But after fulfilling those duties [towards God and His creatures], you should perform your duties towards him [i.e., your master]; and be busy with it. And there is no power, save in God.

D. Rights Of Subjects

  1. As for the right of your subjects in authority (ra'iyyah) is that you should know that you have subjugated them as a result of your superior power, and that they are your subjects because of their weakness and timidity. How deserving of mercy, protection and forbearance is the person whose weakness and servility did your work for you in making him your subject and enforcing your command upon him, so much so that he is now helpless and powerless against you and can find no helper [if you put him in trouble] except God. And how important is it for you to thank God when you appreciate His grace in bestowing this power and strength upon you. And God increases His bounties for one who is thankful to Him. And there is no power, save in God.

  2. As for the right of your subjects in knowledge is that you should know that God made you a custodian over them only through the knowledge He has granted you and entrusted you with the treasure of wisdom. Therefore, if you are generous in this commission given to you by Him, and if you act as a benevolent trustee who wishes his Master [God] well in looking properly after His servants and is patient and observant enough to bring out the wealth of his hand [treasure of knowledge] whenever he sees a needy person, you will be a well-guided person and you thus will have hope and true faith. Otherwise, you will be guilty of embezzlement [for the knowledge given to you] by God, and of tyranny towards His creatures; and will be liable to be deprived by God [of this knowledge] and honour.

  3. As for the right of your subject through mar-riage [i.e., your wife] is that you should know that God has made her for you a tranquility and comfort [in worry] and a friend and shield [against sins]. And, likewise, it is incumbent upon either of you to thank God for his/her spouse, and to know that the other is a favour of God upon you.

And it is obligatory to have good fellowship with this favour of God [i.e., your wife] , and to respect her and be kind to her although your [i.e., the husband's] rights upon her are greater and her obedience to you is more binding in all your likes and dislikes so long as it is not a sin. So she has the right of love and fellowship, and a place of repose [i.e., a house] so that natural desires may be fulfilled, and this in itself is a great [duty]. And there is no power, save in God.

  1. As for the right of your subject through pos-session [i.e., your slave] is that you should know that he is the creature of your Lord, and that he is your own flesh and blood, though you possess him. Not that you have created him, or have made his ears or eyes, or have given him his sustenance. Rather it is God Who has done all this for him, and then made him your subject and given him as a trust to you, so that you may keep a watch on the trust of God on His behalf and deal with him as God deals with His creatures.

So you should feed him what you eat, and clothe him with what you wear, and not demand from him what he cannot do. And if you do not like him, be relieved of the responsibility [put upon you by God] by changing him, but do not inflict punishment upon the creation of God. And there is no power save in God.