What are my obligations towards Another Muslim?
Islam obligates the rights of one Muslim to another. This leads to a sense of care in a Muslim society. Among many of the responsibilities, six are the most vital rights. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “A Muslim has six rights over another Muslim. When you meet a Muslim, say salaam. When he calls upon you, go to meet him. When he asks you for Goodwill, say good to him. When a Muslim sneeze and says ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ, say to himيرحمك الله . And when a Muslim gets ill, inquire about his illness. And for the last, when Muslim dies, attend the funeral”.
These six obligations will be discussed herein light of the hadith of Sahih Muslims.
Responding to Salaam:
Greeting Muslims with salaam is essential. It is one of the basic ways of creating affection among Muslims. Allah Almighty says in Holy Quran to respond to the greeting of your Muslim brother is a better way or at least in the same way. You can greet back in the same words and choose the better way to greet back your fellow. It means if a person says “اسلام علیکم” to you, then your better answer should be” وعلیکم السلام ورحمۃ اللہ. ” It would be acceptable to say again وعلیکم السلام only. However, you would sin if you completely ignored your Muslim brother’s greetings.
Visiting the Sick:
The second obligation is to visit the ill one. This highlights Islamic values of taking care of others. This obligation makes sure that an ill person is not left alone. Islam obligates them to visit the patient and pray for their health. This acts as a lot of encouragement for the person in grief. It makes the patient happy that someone cares about the illness. If the patient needs someone to take him to the doctor, the visiting person can be a lot helpful to the one in need.
Attending funeral prayers:
The third obligation is to attend the funnel of Muslim fellows. This is the Muslims right after the death of the fellows. You can think of this obligation as a reminder that everyone has t leave this world at a definite time. You must attend the funeral prayer of your fellow Muslim.
Accepting the invitations:
You are obliged to accept the invitation of your Muslim brothers. The importance of this obligation can be checked in the following hadith mentioned by Ziyad bin Anam Al-Afriqi mentioning the importance of accepting the invitation. Ziyad bin Anam Al-Afriqi said that they were traveling through the boat, and their boat confronted the boat of Hazrat Abu Ayyub Ansari. It was lunchtime, and we invited Hazrat Abu Ayyub to lunch. Hazrat Abu Ayyub said that I have a fast, but still I will accept your invitation because Holy Prophet (PBUH) is obligated to accept the invitation.
Responding to sneeze:
The fifth obligation is to say “یرحمک اللہ” when a Muslim fellow sneezes and says ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ. This obligation teaches that you should ask for Almighty forgiveness on your fellow behalf. This duty is the basis of brotherhood in Islam. Islam teaches that Muslims should feel each other pain and seek forgiveness for each other from Almighty.
The feeling of Goodwill:
Islam obligates the feeling of Goodwill for each other. It is the duty of every Muslim not to misguide his fellow. Muslims should not be involved in flattery or hypocrisy towards others. They are also obliged not to give any bad advice to fellows. On the other hand, Muslims also should not gossip on the backs of their fellow brothers. Good dealing and Goodwill is required from everyone even if their fellows cannot hear them.
Final Conclusions:
Islam is no doubt a religion of harmony and peace. It formulates principles that bind Muslims together. The above rights ensure that Muslims share each other’s pain and are present when their fellow Muslims are grieving. Our religion promotes a society-based culture where everyone feels the pain of others. Fulfilling these rights ensures that you have a strong bonding with your fellow Muslim brothers.