Al-Kafi · Hadith 2

The Book of Belief and Disbelief · The Rights of a Believer on his Brother (in belief) and his duty to observe Such Rights · Volume 2, book 1, chapter 75, Hadith 2

Original Arabic text

2ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ بُكَيْرٍ الْهَجَرِيِّ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ خُنَيْسٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ مَا حَقُّ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ قَالَ لَهُ سَبْعُ حُقُوقٍ وَاجِبَاتٍ مَا مِنْهُنَّ حَقٌّ إِلا وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ وَاجِبٌ إِنْ ضَيَّعَ مِنْهَا شَيْئاً خَرَجَ مِنْ وِلايَةِ الله وَطَاعَتِهِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لله فِيهِ مِنْ نَصِيبٍ قُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ وَمَا هِيَ قَالَ يَا مُعَلَّى إِنِّي عَلَيْكَ شَفِيقٌ أَخَافُ أَنْ تُضَيِّعَ وَلا تَحْفَظَ وَتَعْلَمَ وَلا تَعْمَلَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ لا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِالله قَالَ أَيْسَرُ حَقٍّ مِنْهَا أَنْ تُحِبَّ لَهُ مَا تُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِكَ وَتَكْرَهَ لَهُ مَا تَكْرَهُ لِنَفْسِكَ وَالْحَقُّ الثَّانِي أَنْ تَجْتَنِبَ سَخَطَهُ وَتَتَّبِعَ مَرْضَاتَهُ وَتُطِيعَ أَمْرَهُ وَالْحَقُّ الثَّالِثُ أَنْ تُعِينَهُ بِنَفْسِكَ وَمَالِكَ وَلِسَانِكَ وَيَدِكَ وَرِجْلِكَ وَالْحَقُّ الرَّابِعُ أَنْ تَكُونَ عَيْنَهُ وَدَلِيلَهُ وَمِرْآتَهُ وَالْحَقُّ الْخَامِسُ أَنْ لا تَشْبَعَ وَيَجُوعُ وَلا تَرْوَى وَيَظْمَأُ وَلا تَلْبَسَ وَيَعْرَى وَالْحَقُّ السَّادِسُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَكَ خَادِمٌ وَلَيْسَ لأخِيكَ خَادِمٌ فَوَاجِبٌ أَنْ تَبْعَثَ خَادِمَكَ فَيَغْسِلَ ثِيَابَهُ وَيَصْنَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَيُمَهِّدَ فِرَاشَهُ وَالْحَقُّ السَّابِعُ أَنْ تُبِرَّ قَسَمَهُ وَتُجِيبَ دَعْوَتَهُ وَتَعُودَ مَرِيضَهُ وَتَشْهَدَ جَنَازَتَهُ وَإِذَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ لَهُ حَاجَةً تُبَادِرُهُ إِلَى قَضَائِهَا وَلا تُلْجِئُهُ أَنْ يَسْأَلَكَهَا وَلَكِنْ تُبَادِرُهُ مُبَادَرَةً فَإِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ وَصَلْتَ وَلايَتَكَ بِوَلايَتِهِ وَوَلايَتَهُ بِوَلايَتِكَ.

Published English translation

2. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Ali ibn al-Hakam from ‘Abd Allah ibn Bukayr al-Hajari from Mu’alla ibn Khanis from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Once I asked the Imam, ‘What are the rights of the Muslim on the Muslim?’ The Imam said, ‘He has seven categories of rights that are obligatory, each of which is compulsory. If he jeopardizes a single one of them he is out of the domain of guardianship ( Walayah ) of Allah and obedience to Him. There will be no share for Allah in him.’ 1 then said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, what are these rights?’ The Imam said, ‘O Mu’alla, I am afraid you may jeopardize them and may not protect them. You learn them but do not act up on them.’ I (the narrator) then said, ‘There is no power without the power of Allah.’ The Imam said, ‘Of those rights the easiest to fulfill is to love for him what you love for yourself and dislike for him what you dislike for yourself. The second right is to avoid (stirring) his anger, follow his wishes and obey his commands. The third right is to support him with your soul, property, tongue, hands and legs. The fourth right is to be his eyes, his guide and his mirror. The fifth right is that you must not be satisfied with food while he is hungry, with drinks while he is thirsty, and that you dress up in finery while he does not have any clothes. The sixth right is not to allow yourself to have a servant while your brother in belief does not have any servant. It then is necessary to send your servant to wash his clothes, prepare food and his bed for him. The seventh right is to keep his share handsomely, accept his invitations, visit him when he is ill, attend his funeral and if he needs something, initiate to fulfill it and do not delay until he asks you for help. You must hurry quickly and when you do so you have connected your guardianship with his guardianship and vice versa.’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: مجهول

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (9/28)

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi: Catalogue non-inclusion note (not an authenticity grade)

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī

Source records non-inclusion in this scholar's selection; this is not itself a weak or authentic grade.

Source, rights, and attribution

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edition: Al-Kafi, volume 2, Thaqalayn digital edition / Muhammad Sarwar translation
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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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