What is the Right of Servants?

Verses and Hadiths About the Rights of Others (1)

There is a very heavy sin in coming before Allah with the rights of others. Because the forgiveness of such a sin by Allah is made conditional on the forgiveness of the owner of the rights. Allah does not forgive the sin of the person who violates the rights of others unless the owner of the rights takes his right or gives up this right.

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Just as Allah has rights over man, so do His servants. Almighty Allah has granted every human being certain rights and blessings. Any injustice done to them does not go unpunished and necessitates punishment.

For example, harming someone’s life or property, tarnishing their honor and dignity, upsetting and frightening them even as a joke, deceiving them, taking or giving bribes, delaying their debts, and taking up their time unnecessarily are all violations of people’s rights. Almighty God forbids people from violating people’s rights by saying:

“Do not consume your wealth among yourselves for false reasons, and do not offer it as bribes to the judges in order to consume a portion of people’s wealth knowingly and unjustly.” (Al-Baqarah, 188; An-Nisa, 29)

WHAT IS THE RIGHT OF THE SERVANT? 3

The most dangerous type of violating someone's rights is to unjustly usurp and inappropriately use things that are common rights of the public, such as state and foundation property. This injustice is more dangerous than individual rights. Because even if one regrets it in the end, it is not possible to seek forgiveness from all the rightful owners.

There are many verses and hadiths about the rights of others. Coming to Allah's presence with the rights of others carries a very heavy burden. Because the forgiveness of such a sin by Allah is conditioned on the owner of the right to forgive. Unless the owner of the right receives his right or gives up this right, Allah does not forgive the sin of the person who violates the rights of others.

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Verses: Surah Al-Baqarah; 188

"Do not consume one another's property unjustly. Do not offer it as a bribe to judges in order to knowingly and sinfully consume a portion of other people's property."

Surah Al-Baqarah; 215

“They ask you about what they should spend. Say: Whatever you spend should be for parents, relatives, orphans, the poor and travellers. Surely, Allah knows every good you do.”

Surah Al-Baqarah; 220

“Consider the world and the Hereafter (and act accordingly). They ask you about orphans. Say: It is better to bring them up well (than to abandon them). If you live with them, they are your brothers. Allah knows the one who breaks things from the one who sets things right. If Allah willed, He would have put you in hardship. Indeed, Allah is Mighty, Wise.”

Surah An-Nisa; 2

“Give the orphans their property, do not exchange the good for the bad, and do not consume their property by adding it to your own, because this is a great sin.”

Surah An-Nisa; 3

"If you fear that you will not be able to fulfill the rights of orphans (if you marry them), then take two, three or four women of your choice (or those that are lawful to you). If you fear that you will be unjust, then take one; or be content with the (concubines) you have. This is the most appropriate way for you not to deviate from justice."

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Verses: Surah An-Nisa; 8

“If relatives, orphans and the needy (who do not have a share in the inheritance) are present at the distribution of the inheritance, provide for them from it and speak kind words to them.”

Surah An-Nisa; 10

“Those who wrongfully consume the property of orphans swallow nothing but fire into their bellies; they will surely enter the blazing fire.”

Surah An-Nisa; 36

“Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him. Be good to parents, relatives, orphans, the needy, the neighbor who is near, the neighbor who is distant, the close friend, the traveller, and those under your command (slaves, maidservants, etc.); Allah does not love anyone who is arrogant and boastful.”

Surah An-Nisa; 127

“They ask you for a ruling about women. Say, Allah makes clear to you the ruling about them: the verses that are recited to you in the Book about orphan women and helpless children whom you want to marry, not giving them what is written for them, and about dealing fairly with orphans. Whatever good you do, Allah surely knows it.”

Surah An'am; 153

"Surely this is my straight path. Follow it. Do not follow (other) paths, for they will divert you from the path of Allah. This is what Allah has commanded you so that you may beware."

Surah Al-Isra; 34

"Approach the orphan's property only with the best intentions until he reaches the age of majority. And fulfill your promise. Because a promise requires responsibility."

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Verses: Surah Al-Kahf; 82

"As for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city; and under it was their treasure, and their father was a righteous man. Your Lord intended that the two boys should reach manhood and bring forth their treasure as a mercy from your Lord. And I did not do it of my own will. This is the meaning of that over which you could not be patient."

Surah Al-Fajr; 17

"No! You do not honor the orphans, nor do you encourage one another to feed the needy. You consume the inheritance without distinguishing between lawful and unlawful. You love wealth excessively."

Surah Al-Balad; 14

"But he could not climb the steep slope. Do you know what that steep slope is? It is to free a slave, or to feed an orphan who has a relative on a day of famine, or to feed a hungry poor person."

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Say goodbye

Our Master, the Prophet -peace be upon him-, says:

“Whoever has committed an injustice against his brother in Islam regarding his honor, chastity or property, let him seek forgiveness from that person before the Day of Judgement comes when there will be no gold or silver!” (Bukhari, Mazâlim, 10; Rikâk, 48)

He Who Violates Others' Rights Will Go Bankrupt in the Hereafter

One day, the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- said to his companions:

“Do you know who is bankrupt?” he asked. They said:

They replied, “According to us, a bankrupt person is someone who has no money or property.” Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah said:

“- Surely the bankrupt of my ummah is the following person: He will come on the Day of Judgement with the reward of prayer, fasting and alms. However, because he cursed someone, accused someone of adultery and slandered someone, ate someone’s property, shed someone’s blood and beat someone, the reward of his good deeds will be given to this person and that person. If his rewards run out before the rights of others are finished, the sins of those who deserve it will be loaded onto him and he will eventually be thrown into Hell.” (Muslim, Birr 59; Tirmidhi, Qiyamat 2; Ahmed, II, 303, 324, 372)

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The Prophet Did Not Perform the Funeral of a Person Who Had a Debt

The Prophet -peace be upon him- would take very serious measures to save his community from dying by violating others' rights. Abu Hurayrah -may Allah be pleased with him- narrates one of these as follows:

“When a corpse with debts was brought to the Messenger of Allah:

He would ask, "Did he leave enough property to pay off his debt?" If it was said that he left enough property to pay off his debt (or if one of the Muslims gave a strong promise to pay off the debt in full (Tirmidhi, Janaiz, 69/1069; Nasai, Janaiz, 67)), he would perform his prayer. Otherwise, the Muslims would be told:

"-Perform your friend's prayer!" he would say.

However, in time, when Allah Almighty expanded his financial means, he also performed the prayers of the believers who did not have the wealth to pay their debts (Bukhari, Nefakat, 15; Muslim, Faraiz, 14). After that, he would say the following:

“I am the closest of people to every believer in this world and the Hereafter. If you wish, read this verse: “The Messenger is closer to the believers than themselves…” (Ahzab, 6). If a believer dies and leaves behind property, let his heirs take it. If he leaves behind someone in debt or in need of support, let him come to me, I am his protector and helper.” (Bukhari, Tafsir, 33/1, Bail 5, Faraiz 4, 15, 25; Muslim, Faraiz, 14)

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The Sin of Eating the Rights of Others

Our Master, the Prophet -peace be upon him-, says:

“I am only a human being. You come to me for judgment. Perhaps one of you is more skillful than the other in bringing his evidence and can explain his intentions better. I will judge in his favor according to what I hear. If I judge in favor of someone by taking away his brother’s rights, I will have reserved for him a share of Hell.” (Bukhari, Shahadat, 27; Muslim, Akdiye, 4)

Our Prophet Attached Great Importance to Debts

Sa'd bin Atwal -may Allah be pleased with him- narrates:

“My brother passed away and left three hundred dirhams of property and a family in need of support. I wanted to spend the money he left for his family. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“-Your brother is imprisoned because of his debt, pay off his debt!” he said. I:

I said, “O Messenger of Allah! I paid his debts. There are only two dinars left that a woman claimed but could not prove.” The Messenger of Allah said:

“-Give that woman the two dinars she claimed, because she is telling the truth,” he said. (Ibn Majah, Sadakat, 20)

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Those Who Have Debts Cannot Enter Heaven

Muhammad bin Jahsh -may Allah be pleased with him- narrates: We were sitting next to the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him-. He raised his head towards the sky, then put his hand on his forehead and said:

“-Subhanallah! What a severe decree has been sent down!” he said. We were very afraid and remained silent. The next day:

I asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What was that severe ruling that was sent down?” The Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- said:

“I swear by Allah in Whose hand is my soul that if a person is killed in the path of Allah, then is resurrected and killed again, then is resurrected and killed again, and if he has a debt, he will not enter Paradise until the debt is paid.” (Nesai, Buyu, 98/4681)

The Situation of One Who Unjustly Violates Another's Rights

Hazrat Omar narrates as follows:

It was the day of the Battle of Khaybar. At that time, a group of the companions of the Messenger of Allah came and said:

“-So and so is a martyr, so and so is a martyr,” they said. Then, as they passed by a man:

They said, “So and so has been martyred.” This time the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- said:

“-No, I saw him in Hell wearing a cardigan that he had unjustly taken from the spoils of war.” Then he said:

“-O Ibn al-Khattab, go and call out to the people, ‘Only believers will enter Paradise!’” he said.

I went out and called out: “Only believers will enter Paradise.” (Muslim, Iman, 182)

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The Prophet's Example of the Rights of Others

Usayd bin Hudayr (may Allah be pleased with him) was a very humorous person. He would speak to a group of people and make them laugh. When the joke went overboard and went a little too far, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warned him by gently touching his chest with a stick. Thereupon Usayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

He said, “O Messenger of Allah, I want retaliation!” The Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- said:

“-Come on, then retaliate!” he said. This time Hz. Usayd said:

"-But you are wearing a shirt, but I was not wearing a shirt," he said. The Messenger of Allah lifted up his shirt. Thereupon, Usayd immediately hugged the Messenger of Allah and started kissing his chest and said:

“-O Messenger of Allah, I wanted this!” he said. (Abu Dawud, Adab, 148-149/5224)

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The Companion Who Asked for Retaliation from the Prophet

Before the fighting in Badr began, the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- lined up the mujahideen with the arrow in his hand, giving instructions such as, “Come forward, go back!” and made them count. At this time, he touched the stomach of Sawad bin Ghaziyya, who was in front of the line, and said:

"-O Sevâd! Line up!" he ordered. Sevâd -may Allah be pleased with him-:

"-O Messenger of Allah, you have hurt me! Allah has sent you with the truth. I want retaliation!" he said. The Prophet -peace be upon him- opened his shirt and said:

“Come on, do retaliation,” he said. The Ansar got worried and said:

They tried to bring him back to his senses by saying, “O Sawad! He is the Messenger of Allah!” Sawad -may Allah be pleased with him- said:

“-No human being has any superiority over another in justice!” he said. The Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- said again:

“Come on, retaliate!” he said. Sevad kissed the blessed body of our Prophet. The Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- said:

"-O Sevad! Why did you do this?" he asked. Sevad -may Allah be pleased with him-

“-You see that we are prepared for war. I wanted my last moment to be the moment I touch you!” he said. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah -sallallahu alayhi wa sallam- prayed for him.

(Ibn Hisham, II, 266-267; Waqidi, I, 57; Ibn Sa'd, III, 516)

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How Did Our Prophet Ask for Forgiveness?

Before his death, the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- addressed the believers for the last time and said:

"Finally, I too am a human being! The rights of some of you may have passed to me. If I have unknowingly taken anything from someone's property, let him take it! Know well that the most beloved of you in my sight is the one who takes his right from me, if any, or forgives his right to me. For only in this way will it be possible for me to meet my Lord with forgiveness and peace of mind. No one can say, "I fear that the Messenger of Allah may harbor hatred and enmity!"

Know well that it is never my character to bear grudges and hostility. I do not consider myself exempt from standing among you and repeating this statement of mine,” he said. After performing the noon prayer, he returned, sat on the pulpit and repeated these words. (Ibn-i Sa'd, II, 255; Tabari, Tarih, III, 190)

Then he said:

“O Allah! If I have spoken a harsh word to any believer, I will remember that word of mine on the Day of Judgement.

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A Muslim is someone who is not harmed by his hands or tongue

Islam teaches Muslims to live with the Day of Judgement in mind and not to violate anyone's rights. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) expressed this very concisely as follows:

“A Muslim is someone who does not harm Muslims with his tongue or hands…” (Bukhari, Faith, 4-5)

The Rights of Others Disgraces a Person in the Hereafter

Our beloved Prophet -peace be upon him- was addressing the believers for the last time and giving them final reminders before his death. At one point, he brought up the rights of people and said:

He said, "O people! Whoever has a right that has accrued upon him should pay it back immediately and should not think of being disgraced in this world! Know well that the disgrace of this world is very light compared to what is in the Hereafter."

(Ibn-i Athir, al-Kamil, II, 319; Ibn-i Sa'd, II, 255)

Thereupon, a man stood up and said:

“-O Messenger of Allah! I have betrayed the spoils of war in the way of Allah and have taken three dirhams upon myself!” he said. Our Prophet -peace be upon him- said to him:

“Why did you commit this treason?” he asked. The man:

“– I needed it,” he said. Our Master, the Prophet -peace be upon him- said:

“-O Fadl bin Abbas! Take three dirhams from this person for the treasury!” he said. (Taberi, History, III, 190)

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Last Advices of the Prophet

Again, our Prophet Muhammad said the following in one of his last pieces of advice to his companions before his death:

"Finally, I too am a human being! The rights of some of you may have passed to me! If I have taken anything from anyone's property unintentionally, let my property come and take it!

Know well that the most important and beloved of you in my sight is the one who takes his/her rights from me, if any, or forgives his/her rights to me. Through him/her, I will meet my Lord, having made amends, with contentment and comfort!

No one can say, "I fear that the Messenger of Allah will bear grudges and hostility!" Know well that it is not my nature or state to bear grudges and hostility! I do not find myself exempt from standing among you and repeating this statement of mine!" he said.

After performing the noon prayer, he returned and sat on the pulpit and repeated these words. Thereupon, a man stood up:

He said, “When one of you made a request, you ordered me to give him three dirhams, and I gave it to him.”

Our Master, the Prophet -peace be upon him- said:

"-You are right! O Fadl bin Abbas! Give him three dirhams!" he said. (Ibn-i Sa'd, II, 255; Tabari, Tarih, III, 190)

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He then made the following supplication:

“O Allah! I am only a human being! If I have spoken a harsh word to any Muslim, or have struck him with a whip, or have cursed him, make that a means of purification, reward, and mercy for him!” (Ahmed, III, 400)

“O Allah! If I have spoken a harsh word to a believer, make that word a means of closeness to You on the Day of Judgement!” (Bukhari, Deavat, 34)

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The Last Words of Our Prophet Are About Prayer and Rights of Others

Hazrat Anas also narrates as follows:

“We were with our Master, the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him-, when he passed away. He said to us three times:

He said, "Fear Allah in prayer!" Then he said:

«-Fear Allah regarding the people under your command, fear Allah regarding the two weak ones: The widow and the orphan child. Fear Allah regarding prayer!»

Then he started to repeat, "Prayer, prayer." They kept repeating this inwardly until their blessed souls came out (even when their blessed tongues stopped saying it)." (Beyhaqi, Shuab, VII, 477)

 

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The Responsibility of the Rights of Servants

Our Master, the Pride of the Universe, said in one of his holy hadiths:

“Whoever has committed an injustice against his brother in Islam, regarding his honor, chastity or property, let him make amends with him before the Day of Judgement, when there will be no gold or silver. If he has good deeds, his rewards will be taken from him in proportion to the injustice he has committed (and given to the rightful owner). If he has no good deeds, then the sins of his brother will be taken from him and loaded onto him.” (Bukhari, Mazâlim 10, Rikâk 48)

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[The Almighty God has stated that He created people as honorable and in the best form. (See al-Isra, 70; at-Tin, 4.) He has granted them innumerable blessings and certain rights. In order to preserve these rights, He has established certain laws and rules that regulate the flow of life.

Violating a right that God Almighty has granted to His servants is one of the major sins. Our Almighty Lord has forgiven the mistakes and sins committed against Him, but He has excluded the rights of others. He has left the forgiveness of the rights of others to the will of His wronged servant. Therefore, it has been stipulated that a person who will repent for any rights of others must first seek forgiveness from the person whose rights he violated.

The Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- said in one of his hadiths:

“Allah Almighty forgives all the sins of a martyr except violating other people’s rights.” (Muslim, Imara, 119)

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If this is the case for a martyr who sacrifices his life in the way of Allah, it is clearly understood that it is not possible for other people to have the rights of others violated forgiven without asking for forgiveness. Almighty Allah forbids violating the rights of others by saying:

“Do not consume your wealth among yourselves for false reasons, and do not offer it as a bribe to the judges, in order to consume a portion of people’s wealth, knowingly and unjustly.” (Al-Baqarah, 188)

“O you who believe! Do not consume your property among yourselves by false means, except in the case of trade based on mutual consent…” (an-Nisa, 29)

One day, the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- said:

He said, “Allah the Almighty forbids Paradise and makes Hell obligatory for the person who takes the rights of a Muslim by false oath.”

They asked, “Even if it is a small thing, O Messenger of Allah?” The Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- said:

He said, “Even if it is a branch from the tree of the tree!” and repeated this statement three times. (Muslim, Iman, 218; Muwatta, Akdiye, 11)

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The Prophet (pbuh) advised those who have rights over others to seek forgiveness from the oppressed who have rights over them. He stated that if this is not done, the good deeds of the wrongdoer will be taken to the extent of his wrongdoing and given to the rightful owner on the Day of Judgement, and if no good deeds can be given, then the oppressed person's sins will be attributed to the oppressor (Bukhari, Mazâlim, 10). Again, the Prophet (pbuh) stated that those who do not pay a debt when it is due, despite having the means, violate the rights of others as follows: "It is oppression for a rich person who has the means to pay to postpone payment." (Bukhari, Havâle, 1)

As can be seen, violating people's rights plays a significant role in determining whether a person goes to Heaven or Hell. Standing before Allah with violating people's rights carries a very heavy burden. Because the forgiveness of such a sin by Allah is conditioned on the owner of the right pardoning it.

Allah will not forgive the sin of the one who violates the rights of others unless the owner of the rights receives his right or waives it. Because divine justice requires this. In his farewell sermon, the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- said, “O people, your lives, your properties, your honor and your chastity are untouchable for each other until you meet your Lord.” (Bukhari, Hajj, 132)

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Accordingly, the unlawful money or property obtained through means such as extortion, theft or unauthorized taking should be given to the owners or their heirs if they are known, or to the poor or charitable institutions as alms on their behalf if they are unknown. In addition, forgiveness and pardon should be sought from Allah for these mistakes.

In cases of violations of rights such as backbiting and slander that are not related to property or assault, the most correct thing is to explain the situation to the wronged person and ask for forgiveness; however, since it is not always possible to fulfill this condition or because people are afraid of doing so, repenting on one's own behalf and asking for forgiveness on behalf of the wronged person, praying for him or doing a good deed and donating the reward to him, will be an atonement for such violations of rights (İ. T., el-Fetâva'l-Kubrâ, I, 113).