Could You Explain the Hadith About the Rights of a Muslim?
Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question
Can you share commentary on the Hadith of the Rights of Muslims from Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani and others?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
The Prophetic narration on the rights of a Muslim over other Muslims is as follows:
Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The rights of the Muslim over another Muslim are five: returning the greeting of salam, visiting the sick, attending the funeral, accepting invitations, and praying for the one who sneezes.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
The Five Rights of a Muslim
- Returning the greeting of Salam
- Visiting the sick
- Attending the funeral
- Accepting invitations
- Praying for the one who sneezes.
These five rights are a communal obligation upon every Muslim.
Returning the Salam
Returning the salam is an obligation as long as one is not in a state where they can’t reply, such as relieving themselves; or if they are in an act of worship that demands their attention, such as listening to the Jum‘ua khutba or reciting the Quran.
As for initiating the salam, this is an emphasized Sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). [Ali Qari, Mirqat al-Mafatih]
Visiting the Sick and Attending the Funeral
The exception here is that if a person holds heretical beliefs, one is not obliged to tend to them in these ways. [Ibid.]
Accepting Invitations
Some said that this relates to calls for assistance or help. Others said this relates to invitations to host the person as a guest, as long as there is no sin involved. [Ibid.]
Praying for the One Who Sneezes
The Arabic word “Tashmit” comes from the word “Shamata,” which means calamity. The supplication “may Allah have mercy on you” essentially means “may Allah distance you from all calamity (shamata)”. [Ibid.]
These rights belong to all Muslims, righteous and otherwise, however, these rights are fulfilled concerning the righteous Muslim with joy and concern. [Ibid.]
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch teaches Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he completed four years at the Darul Uloom Seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences.
He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he studied for three years in Dar al-Mustafa under some of the most outstanding scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib.
In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Quran and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Quranic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.
