Primary Texts · Study guide
Risalat al-Huquq · Treatise on Rights
رِسَالَةُ الْحُقُوقِ
رسالۃ الحقوق
- Author / compiler
- Treatise attributed to Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abidin (a.s.)
- Period
- Early Islamic era; attribution transmitted in Imami sources
- Language
- Arabic; translations vary
- Source
- Al-Islam.org · Treatise on Rights
A moral framework that considers duties toward God, the self and people encountered in worship and daily life. Read the complete text through a source edition.
External text; this site provides an outline only. Verify the translation and permissions at the source.
Chapter map
A structured guide to the linked work. These headings summarize topics and do not claim to reproduce the source edition’s complete table of contents.
- 01Rights of God, the self and acts of worship
- 02Rights of the tongue, hearing, sight, hands and other faculties
- 03Rights within family, neighbours and community
- 04Rights of teachers, students, leaders and those under one’s care
Editorial study notes
These notes are original explanatory aids. They are not verbatim translations, complete chapters, hadith texts, legal rulings, or substitutes for the linked edition.
01. The right of God
A study summary on worship, gratitude, obedience, and recognizing the source of one's existence.
02. The right of the self
Reflect on protecting one's soul and body through ethical choices, learning, and balanced care.
03. The right of the tongue
A note on truthful speech, restraint, avoiding slander, and using words responsibly.
04. The right of hearing
Study the responsibility to avoid listening to harmful speech and to seek beneficial knowledge.
05. The right of sight
A reflection on guarding one's gaze and using sight for learning and recognizing signs of goodness.
06. The right of the hands
A note on using one's hands for lawful work, service, and avoiding injury or injustice.
07. The right of the legs
Study how movement and travel should serve lawful aims and avoid wrongdoing.
08. The right of the stomach
A note on lawful nourishment, moderation, and avoiding excess.
09. The right of the private parts
A respectful summary on chastity, consent, dignity, and lawful boundaries.
10. The right of prayer
Reflect on prayer as disciplined remembrance, humility, and a central responsibility.
11. The right of fasting
A note on self-restraint, sincerity, compassion, and ethical discipline during fasting.
12. The right of charity
Study generosity, the dignity of recipients, and giving without humiliation or ostentation.
13. The right of the offering
A reflection on sincerity, gratitude, and the ethical purpose of sacrificial giving.
14. The right of the leader
A note on lawful responsibilities, justice, and accountability in leadership.
15. The right of the teacher
Study gratitude toward those who teach, together with the teacher's responsibility to guide honestly.
16. The right of the learner
A note on humility, effort, respectful inquiry, and using knowledge responsibly.
17. The right of the spouse
Reflect on mutual dignity, fairness, trust, and fulfilling family responsibilities.
18. The right of the servant or dependent
A historical-context note emphasizing humane treatment, dignity, and the rejection of abuse.
19. The right of the mother
Study gratitude, care, and recognition of the mother's sacrifices and responsibilities.
20. The right of the father
A note on gratitude, respect, and the duties and limits of family authority.
21. The right of the child
Reflect on protection, nurturing, education, fairness, and age-appropriate responsibility.
22. The right of the sibling
A note on kinship, mutual aid, reconciliation, and avoiding favoritism.
23. The right of the freed person
A historical-context study of dignity, social responsibility, and the lasting effects of dependency.
24. The right of the benefactor
Study gratitude, acknowledgment, and responding to generosity without servility.
25. The right of the caller to prayer
A note on honoring the call to worship and preparing respectfully for communal prayer.
26. The right of the prayer leader
Reflect on the trust involved in leading worship and the congregation's shared responsibilities.
27. The right of the companion
A note on loyalty, honest counsel, and protecting a companion's dignity.
28. The right of the neighbor
Study safety, kindness, privacy, and avoiding nuisance in shared spaces.
29. The right of the associate
A note on fairness, reliability, and honoring the expectations of legitimate association.
30. The right of the partner
Reflect on transparency, fair dealing, shared responsibility, and avoiding exploitation.
31. The right of wealth
A note on lawful earning, responsible spending, generosity, and avoiding waste.
32. The right of the creditor
Study fair claims, clear agreements, and humane treatment in financial obligations.
33. The right of the debtor
A note on honoring debts while recognizing the need for compassion toward genuine hardship.
34. The right of the social companion
Reflect on courtesy, listening, honesty, and preserving trust in shared gatherings.
35. The right of the adversary
A study note on justice toward opponents, avoiding falsehood, and refusing revenge-driven excess.
36. The right of the person seeking advice
A note on sincerity, confidentiality, careful listening, and giving counsel within one's knowledge.
37. The right of the adviser
Study honesty, tact, competence, and the duty not to manipulate someone seeking guidance.
38. The right of the elder
A note on respect, patience, and recognizing experience without excusing injustice.
39. The right of the younger
Reflect on mercy, teaching by example, and protecting those with less power.
40. The right of the person asking
A note on responding compassionately while maintaining honest and sustainable boundaries.
41. The right of the person asked
Study the responsibility to answer truthfully, admit limits, and avoid pretending to know.
42. The right of the person who brings happiness
A reflection on gratitude, kindness, and acknowledging those who bring legitimate joy.
43. The right of the person who wrongs you
A note on balancing justice, boundaries, forgiveness, and protection from repeated harm.
44. The right of fellow believers
Study solidarity, mutual dignity, privacy, and practical help in times of need.
45. The right of protected non-Muslim neighbors
A historical-context note on covenants, safety, fairness, and protection from religious discrimination.
46. The right of the people of your community
Reflect on shared spaces, civic responsibility, cooperation, and public welfare.
47. The right of the people under one's authority
A note on accountability, fair treatment, and the special duty not to abuse power.
48. The right of the person who seeks reconciliation
Study listening, impartiality, truthfulness, and avoiding pressure that conceals injustice.
49. The right of the one who has done good to you
A note on gratitude, reciprocity where appropriate, and remembering acts of kindness.
50. The right of God in all other rights
A concluding reflection on how accountability to God should shape every relationship and duty.