Treatise of Rights

The Rights of Allah against oneself

The Rights of Acts

Rights of Leaders

Rights of Subjects

Rights of Womb Relatives

Rights of Others

فأَمَّا حَقُّ اللهِ الأَكْبَرُ فَإنَّكَ تَعْبُدُهُ لا تُشْرِكُ بهِ شَيْئاً، فَإذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ بإخلاصٍ جَعَلَ لَكَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَنْ يَكفِيَكَ أَمْرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَيَحْفَظَ لَكَ مَا تُحِبُّ مِنْهَما.

The greatest right of God against you is that you worship Him without associating anything with Him. When you do that with sincerity (ikhlas), He has made it binding upon Himself to give you sufficiency in the affair of this world and the next.

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ نَفْسِكَ عَلَيْكَ فَأَنْ تَسْتَوْفِيَهَا فِي طَاعَةِ اللهِ فَتُؤَدّي إلَى لِسَانِكَ حَقَّهُ وَإلَى سَمْعِك حَقَّهُ وَإلَى بَصَرِكَ حَقّهُ وَإلَى يَدِكَ حَقَّهَا وَإلَى رِجْلِك حَقَّهَا وَإلَى بَطْنِكَ حَقَّهُ وَإلَى فَرْجِكَ حَقَّهُ وَتَسْتَعِينَ باللهِ عَلَى ذَلِك.

The right of your self (nafs) against you is that you employ it in obeying God; then you deliver [i.e. fulfill] to your tongue its right, to your hearing its right, to your sight its right, to your hand its right, to your leg its right, to your stomach its right, to your private part its right, and you seek help from God in all that.

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ اللّسَان فَإكْرَامُهُ عَنِ الْخَنَى وتَعْوِيدُهُ الْخَيْرِ وَ تَرك الْفُضُول الَّتي لا فائِدَةِ لَها و البِرُّ بالنَّاسِ و حُسْن القَولِ فيهم.

The right of the tongue is that you consider it too noble for obscenity, accustom it to good, refrain from any meddling in which there is nothing to be gained, express kindness to the people, and speak well concerning them.

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ السَّمْعِ فَتَنْزِيهُهُ عَنْ سَماع الغيبةِ و سَماعِها لا يحِلّ سَماعه.

The right of hearing is to keep it pure from listening to backbiting (ghiba) and listening to that to which it is unlawful to listen.

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ بَصَرِكَ أن تُغْمِضَهُ عَمَّا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ و تَعْتَبِر بالنَّظَرِ بِهِ.

The right of sight is that you lower it before everything which is unlawful to you and that you take heed whenever you look at anything. [1]

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ يَدِكَ فَأَنْ لا تَبْسُطَهَا إلَى مَا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ.

The right of your hand is that you stretch it not toward that which is unlawful to you.

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ رِجْلَيْكَ فَأَنْ لا تَمْشِي بهِمَا إلَى مَا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ فيهما، تقف على الصراط فانظر أن لا تزل بك فتتردى في النار.

The right of your two legs is that you walk not with them toward that which is unlawful to you. You have no escape from standing upon the narrow bridge (al-sirat [ov hell]), so you should see to it that your legs do not slip and cause you to fall into the Fire.

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ بَطْنِكَ فَأَنْ لا تَجْعَلَهُ وِعَاءً لِلْحَرَامِ وَلا تَزيد على الشَّبْعَ.

The right of your stomach is that you make it not into a container for that which is unlawful to you and you eat no more after you become full.

وأَمَّا حَقُّ فَرْجِكَ انْ تُحْصِنَهُ عَن الْزِّنا و تَحْفِظَهَ مِن أنْ يُنْظَر الَيْهِ.

The right of your private part is that you protect it from fornication and guard it against being looked upon.

Risālat al-Ḥuqūq

Book 1, Chapter 2