Al-Risalah Al-Huquq

Risalat al-Huquq ( ar, رسالة الحقوق, , ) is a work attributed to Ali ibn al-Husayn, the great-grandson of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and the fourth Shia Imam, also known by the honorific title Zayn al-Abidin (). According to Chittick, ''Risalat al-Huquq ''is as an elaboration of a saying by Muhammad about individual rights that illustrates how Islam diverges from the modern western notions of human rights, though it remains close to other religious traditions. ''Risalat al-Huquq'' is related by Abu Hamza al-Thumali, a close confidante of Zayn al-Abidin. The first version of ''Risalat al-Huquq ''appears in ''al-Khisal'' and '' al-Amali'' by Shaykh al-Suduq, and the second one in ''Tuhaf al-Uqul'' by Ibn Shu'ba. In one of its two versions, ''Risalat al-Huquq ''is prefaced by the sentence "This is the treatise of Ali ibn al-Husayn to one of his companions," suggesting that it was brought to life at the request of a disciple.

Human rights in ''Risalat al-Huquq''

''Risalat al-Huquq'' has been viewed as an elaboration of Muhammad's saying, "Surely your Lord has a right against you, your self has a right against you, your wife has a right against you." Some other versions of this well-attested hadith, possibly uttered on other occasions, include other rights and the clause, "So give to everyone who possesses a right his right." In ''Risalat al-Huquq'', Zayn al-Abidin exhaustively details what is meant by "everyone who possesses a right," basing himself in the Quran and the hadith literature.

( ar, حقوق) in the title is the plural for ( ar, حق) and is often translated as 'rights', though other closely related words are 'justice', 'truth', 'obligations', 'duties', and 'responsibilities'. Even though ''Risalat al-Huquq'' has been translated as''Treatise of Rights'', a better translation of here might have been 'duties', 'obligations', or 'responsibilities'. This is because ''Risalat al-Huquq'' is primarily concerned with the rights of others which the individual must observe, in sharp contrast with western views where human rights are often interpreted as the rights of the individual. In Islam, however, the fundamental (and perhaps only) right of the individual is that of salvation, to attain which the individual must follow the guidance of God in the form of . Without this divine guidance, Islam maintains that the individual is unable to perceive his best interests in the midst of his own ego and self-centered desires.

Authenticity

''Risalat al-Huquq'', attributed to Zayn al-Abidin, appears in
* ''al-Khisal'' by Shaykh al-Suduq
* ''al-Amali'' by Shaykh al-Suduq
* ''Man La Yahdhuruhu al-Faqih'' by Shaykh al-Suduq
* ''Tuhaf al-Uqul'' by Ibn Shu'ba
The author of ''Tuhaf al-Uqul'' does not identify his sources, while al-Suduq provides in his ''al-Khisal'' the chain of transmission:

In hadith terminology, ''Risalat al-Huquq'' is transmitted as in ''Man La Yahdhuruhu Al-Faqih'', which provides the chain of transmission:

Transmitted in two versions, ''Risalat al-Huquq'' begins with "The greatest right of God..." in ''Man La Yahdhuruhu al-Faqih'', which does not include the brief overview of the rights as it appears in ''Tuhaf al-Uqul''. In the latter source, the number of rights introduced and then detailed in the body of ''Risalat al-Huquq'' are fifty'','' while al-Suduq details fifty-one rights and the additional "right of hajj" in his ''al-Khisal'' and ''Man La Yahdhuruhu Al-Faqih''. There is, however, no mention of the "right of hajj" in the introduction to ''Risalat al-Huquq'' in ''al-Khisal''.

Chittick similarly writes that there are two versions of ''Risalat al-Huquq'', one in ''al-Khisal'' and ''al-Amali, and the other in Tuhaf al-Uqul.'' The latter version appears to be a later recession, which has been edited for clarity. Chittick follows the former version in his translation.

Contents

''Risalat al-Huquq'' begins with an introduction, which is followed by a detailed statement of the rights. The introduction briefly overviews the rights and begins as

;The rights of God
The Greatest Right of God
;The rights of yourself and your body organs
*The right of the tongue
*The right of hearing
*The right of sight
*The right of the legs
*The right of the hand
*The right of the stomach
*The right of the private part

;The right of deeds
*The right of the prayer
*The right of fasting
*The right of the pilgrimage
*The right of the charity
*The right of the offering

;The right of the leaders
*The right of the possessor of authority
*The right of the trainer through knowledge
*The right of the trainer through ownership

;The Right of the Subjects
*The right of subjects through authority
*The right of subjects through knowledge
*The right of the wife
*The right of your slave

;The rights of relationship
*The right of the mother
*The right of the father
*The right of the child
*The right of the brother

;The Right of Others
*The right of the master
*The right of the formerly enslaved person
*The right of the one who treats you kindly
*The right of the caller to prayer
*The right of the ritual prayer leader
*The right of the sitting companion
*The right of the neighbor
*The right of the companion
*The right of the partner
*The right of property
*The right of the creditor
*The right of the associate
*The right of the adversary
*The right of him who seeks your advice
*The right of him whose advice you seek
*The right of him who seeks your counsel
*The right of the counselor
*The right of the older one
*The right of the younger one
*The right of him who asks you
*The right of whom you ask
*The right of him through whom God makes you happy
*The right of him who wrongs you
*The right of people of your creed
*The right of those under the protection of Islam
The concluding words of Zayn al-Abidin are

Treatise of Life

The documentary ''Treatise of Life'' is about the life style that is mindful of the rights in ''Risalatul Huquq''. It was directed by Amir Farrokh Saber, an Iranian director, and broadcast on the IRIB news channel.

See also

* ''Sahifah of al-Ridha''
* ''Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya''
* ''Nahj al-Balagha''
* ''Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah''
* The Fifteen Whispered Prayers
* List of Shia books

References

External links

al-islam.org

''The Charter of Rights''
translated to English by Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi

''Al-Risalat al-Huquq''

{{Shia hadith literature, state=uncollapsed

Shia literature
Islamic culture
Human rights in Islam
History of human rights
Treatises