The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The believer has six rights over another believer: he visits him when he is ill, attends his funeral when he dies, responds to his invitation when he invites, greets him when he meets him, responds to him when he sneezes, and wishes well for him whether he is present or absent.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stated that a believer has six rights over another believer: when he becomes ill, he should visit him; when he dies, he should attend his funeral; when he invites, his invitation should be accepted; when he meets him, he should greet him with peace; when he sneezes, his sneeze should be responded to; and he should wish well for him whether he is absent or present.
(Nasai Sharif, narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him)
In this blessed statement, clarification has been made regarding the fundamental matters related to the mutual rights of believers, which form the identity of a religious society and reflect the effective aspects of Islamic values. The first right that one believer has over another is that if he becomes ill, he should be visited, and there is great virtue and immense reward in this act.
It is narrated from Hazrat Ali (may Allah honor his face) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that when a Muslim visits his Muslim brother in the morning, seventy thousand angels pray for mercy and forgiveness for him until evening; and if he visits in the evening, seventy thousand angels pray for forgiveness for him until morning, and a garden in Paradise is prepared for him.
(Tirmidhi Sharif and Abu Dawud Sharif)
Similarly, it is narrated from Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that whoever performs ablution properly and visits his Muslim brother solely for the sake of reward is distanced from Hell by a distance equal to sixty years of travel.
(Ahmad)
Hazrat Abu Saeed (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said that when you go to visit someone who is ill, try to relieve his sorrow regarding death; although this cannot delay his time of death, it will make his heart happy.
(Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)
It is reported from Hazrat Saeed bin Musayyib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that the best practice is to leave shortly after visiting the sick.
(Bayhaqi)
The Second Right: Attending the Funeral
The second right is that when a believing brother dies, one should attend his funeral. Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to hasten in carrying out the funeral, because if the deceased was righteous, he should be taken quickly toward goodness, and if he was wicked, then it is better to remove the burden from your shoulders quickly.
(Bukhari and Muslim)
The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said that whoever accompanies the funeral of a Muslim with faith and in hope of reward until he offers the funeral prayer and completes the burial returns with two Qirats of reward, each Qirat equal to Mount Uhud; and whoever only performs the funeral prayer and returns without participating in the burial receives one Qirat of reward.
(Bukhari and Muslim, narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira)
The Third Right: Accepting an Invitation
The third right is to accept an invitation. When a believer accepts the invitation of his believing brother and becomes his guest, then it becomes necessary for the host to honor and respect his guest.
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu al-Ahwas that his father asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): O Messenger of Allah, if I pass by a person and he neither hosts me nor invites me, and later he passes by me, should I host him or take revenge? The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: rather, host him; meaning, do not behave discourteously and give him the right of hospitality.
(Tirmidhi)
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that whoever is invited to a meal and refuses without a valid reason has disobeyed Allah and His Messenger, and whoever goes without invitation enters like a thief and leaves like a robber.
(Abu Dawud)
The Fourth Right: Greeting with Peace
The fourth right of one believer over another is greeting with peace. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that greeting one another increases mutual love.
(Muslim)
The Prophet instructed that greeting should precede conversation.
(Tirmidhi)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said that the one who initiates greeting is free from pride and arrogance.
(Bayhaqi)
Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O son, when you enter your home, greet your family with peace, for your greeting will bring blessings upon you and your household.
(Tirmidhi)
The Fifth Right: Responding to a Sneeze
Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said that when someone sneezes, he should say “Alhamdulillah,” and his companion or brother should reply “Yarhamuk Allah.” When this is said, the sneezing person should respond, “Yahdikum Allah wa yuslih balakum.”
(Bukhari Sharif)
The Sixth Right: Wishing Well
The sixth right is that a believer should wish well for another believer whether he is present or absent. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said that a Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he neither oppresses him nor humiliates him. Whoever helps his brother in his need, Allah helps him in his need. Whoever relieves a Muslim of a hardship, Allah will relieve him of hardships on the Day of Judgment. Whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults on the Day of Judgment.
(Bukhari and Muslim, narrated by Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both)
Source: Quarterly Rahbar Noor
