HAQOOQUL IBAAD (RIGHTS OF MUSLIMS UPON MUSLIMS): THE IDEAL

ISLAMIC SOCIAL WELFARE:

Rights and duties of a Muslim upon his/her Muslim brothers/sisters have significant
values as it establishes a social framework in which all the Muslims can live with dignity
and in a socially secured way. This is the reason that it is considered as an Ibaadat
(prayer) in Islam which accrue to merits/virtues/sawab.

We, the present day Muslims including all Asians, only used to talk about Haquqool Ibad.
But nothing concrete as a system has been done by the governments in the Muslim
countries unlike the present day western countries including North America. Haqooqul
Ibaad was compulsory in previous shariat too. That is why non-believers have made a
system which is called a social welfare system. In social welfare system of North
America and European countries, Old age pension(other than social security) is given
after the age of 65. This old age pension is for every person of a country who resided
legally for at least ten years in that country. Social security pension is given to those who
worked for more than ten years in that country. Person can be eligible for both the
pensions subject to minimum amount. If a social security pension is more than a
stipulated limit, old age pension is not given. Also, if one is unemployed, social welfare
applies. So, in these countries, though non-believers they are, enough care has been taken
for Haqooqul Ibaad. Parents at the old age have not to depend on their children. Whereas
in country like India, the poor parents at the old age have to depend upon their children.

In Islam, instead of making the system for Haqooqul Ibaad by the government, more
stress is given on an individual so that he/she can earn sawaab/merits according to his/her
sacrifice in terms of financial and other social affairs. If compulsion by the government is
made for collecting more tax, the sawaab/merits to the tax payers are not given. Hence, in
Islam, more stress is given on each individual to sacrifice financially as per his/her
strength so that society can be benefited and the individual who sacrifies can obtain
virtues/sawaab/merits hereafter. It should be noted that whoever helps his/her parents in
India is considered to be more sacrificial than who helps their parents in North America
or Europe. Because, in India, if a son/daughter does not help his/her parents, they are
likely to be financially paralyzed as they cannot obtain any other help from social system
of the country. If a son/daughter in North America does not help his/her parents, they can
get financial and other help from social system. So, credit must be given to those
children who serve their poor parents in India. Life in countries like India is harder. A
son/daughter who earns cannot have guarantee that he/she will be paid by the system in
the case of unemployment. Further, there is no old age pension, hence the son/daughter
tries to invest more during employment and cannot afford further expenditure.
While considering the rights of parents upon his son/daughter, one must consider the
overall situation, i.e. financial situation, physical situation and other liabilities of the
parents and children. Sometimes it so happens that a son is paralyzed and the parents are
in good position, at that time the parents have to help the son. In most cases, the parents
need the financial help of their sons. At the time of rise of Islam, pension system was not
available and poor parents had to depend on their children. Hence special care is taken in
Islam by introducing the rights and responsibilities.
While huqooqul Ibad was present in other religions too, there must be some specialties in
Islam about this. Islam is the religion which may be considered as the leader of all the
religions on the earth as Allah told in a quran that near the Allah, only Islam is the
religion. The specialties may be enumerated as these:

In surah Humazah in quran ( this surah is just prior to Surah Fil-alam tara qaifa ), it has
been mentioned that there is a destruction for those who backbites and for those who
accumulate wealth and keep on counting! See the translation of this surah.

“Destruction for those who slander others (on their faces) and backbites. Who gathered
the wealth and keep on counting. He/she thinks that his/her wealth will remain with
him/her forever. Never; such person will be thrown into crushing place. And what do you
know what that crushing place is? The fire of Allah; well kindled, which will leap over
the hearts. It shall be closed covering over them (in this situation will be surrounded) in
high pillars” (Al Quran: 104 Surah Al Humazah)

This is the reason that in Islam the responsibilities and darjaat (dignity levels/ranks) are
mentioned as this:
(a)Simple ordinary Muslims: They pay zakaat if due, by 2.5 per cent of the wealth he/she
is in possession and earned every year. The amount exceeding equivalent of 7.5 tolas of
gold
(b)Mo’minin (higher stage muslims believing in tariqat/advance level of sufism): They
keep with them only the wealth least needed to live and carry on life in Islamic way. All
the excess wealth is distributed among the poor muslim ummah.
(c)The leaders (True sayyads/saints): They do not keep with them even the least needed
wealth ! This can be seen from example of Hazarat Abu baker Siddiq (R.A.). Once upon a
time, our beloved prophet declared to give wealth or other possible help to collect to
expend it for holy war against infidels/non-believers. Hearing his call, Hazarat
Omar(R.A.) brought 50 percent of his household which he possessed then. He was happy
in mind thinking that he would surpass Hazarat Abu Bakar who was used to earn more
sawab at every such occasion, because, he was more wealthy than Hazarat Abu
Bakar(R.A.). Hazarat Omar knew that Hazarat Abu Bakar would not bring more wealth
than what he brought. But, see the knowledge of our beloved prophet (sav) who asked
Hazarat Omar “Omar, how much have you left at your home?” Omar(R.A.) told, ”Half of
what I have” and now Hazarat Abu Bakar arrived with medium size bag on his shoulder.
He put that bag in front of prophet(sav). The holy prophet asked Hazarat Abu Bakar “
How much have you left at your home” he answered, “ I have left Allah and his beloved
prophet at my home” It means that Hazarat Abu Bakar brought hundred percent and
nothing left at his home whereas Hazarat Omar brought fifty per cent of his wealth.
Hazarat Abu Bakar(R.A.) placed his good shirt in the donation and he himself wore old
shirt, the buttons of which were broken or gone off. Hence he came with a thorn-stappled
shirt in stead of buttons. Looking to this Hazarat Jibrael came with 70000 angels from
paradise dressed similarly as dressed like Abu Bakar with a thorny stappled shirts. So, he
became our first Khalipha.
(d)Now this is the state of leaders of Islam then Who our Prophet is: Our prophet (sav) is
such personality, according to him, “No one can recognize my state/reality or stations
except Allah”
So, we must try to sacrifice as far as we can if we are to be true Muslims. In the last
sermon (last holy speech of prophet in kaaba) he told “an Arabic person has no
superiority over an Iranian nor a white has any superiority over a black one. Superiority
of one over the other is based on the piety/taqawaa” Taqawaa is based on sacrifice and
renunciation of self desires. This is the reason, our beloved prophet told his companions
at the time of returning victorious from the last holy war in which our prophet took part
“we did little jehad (fought holy war) and victorious but now we have to do great jehad”
The companions asked, “ What kind of jehad dear prophet(sav)?” He replied, “ The great
jehad and that is jehad upon our own nafs/desires” So, he reminded us to do jehad upon
our nafs/desires. This is the sacrifice. To kill or control desires is a sacrifice.
Today’s Muslims do little good work and look at the evils of the others. Not only that,
looking to the shortcomings of fellow Muslim brother he hates him in such a way that he
is not prepared even to see his fellow Muslim brother’s good/right/haqq work. He has a
complex in his mind that he used to think of his fellow muslim brother about his lacking
of things and hence not prepared to listen his fellow brother’s right talks! By this type of
thinking, such people do not want to listen good things of fellow muslim brothers. To the
people who have this type of thinking, I would like to consider this logic. One person is
full of sins. Has not he the right to do neki/sawab/good deed by some work? If he has the
right to earn sawab, then to speak haqq/truth is a neki/sawab. And to stop him speaking
truth by pin pointing him about his draw backs is a sin. No person can be stopped to do
neki. To make the system of general life of the society sincere, such truthfulness is
necessary. Of course, one should see towards oneself before saying to others. But nobody
is perfect. So, if one suggest about the truth, everybody should accept. Even sinful person
can have some good deeds to his account. So, any form of egoism should be avoided. It
should be noted that Hazarat Ibrahim (A.S.) had to leave his caretaker uncle/guardian due
to his hindrance in the way of straight path. Some companions of our beloved prophet
left their infidel parents due to their obstacles put in the right path. Our beloved prophet
gave justice in favour of a jew in one incident he dealt with the so called muslim as he
was right in that particular event. So, our prophet did not see the sins of the jews but he
saw the truth of a jew.

All the human beings including non believers have contained Noor-e-Mohammadi in
their body. For this reason, the soul or ruh is contained in the body. The ruh while
inserted into Hazarat Adam(A.S.)’ body sprung back saying to Allah, “there is a darkness,
I could not live in” So, Allah put Noor-e-Mohammadi into Hazarat Adam(A.S.). So, the
ruh lived due to light of Noor-e-Mohammadi. We all humans are from Adam (A.S.) So,
we all humans inherited Noor-e-Mohammadi. Further, in everybody’s heart including
non-believers, there are two points. One point is for spirituality signal reception and other
point is for satanic reception. We can awaken spiritual point by prayers, zikrullah and
other meritorious deeds. In saintly people this point is fully awakened and fully receives
spiritual signals. In ordinary people, the satanic signal receiving point is dominant. This is
the reason, Hazarat Salamaan Farasi (R.A.) was ranked by our beloved prophet(sav) as
Ahle Bait (from among the people of house of prophet) even though he was originated
from Iran. This is the reason, the heart of mo’min is a house of Allah according to hadis.
So, all humans are to be treated as the persons sent by Allah for his submission. If the
rights of neighbour are studied in Islam, one will be surprised to see the sayings of the
companions of the holy prophet (sav) who told that they had a fear lest some decree
should be descended that neighbours would have their share in property of their
neighbour! Neighbour may be believer or non-believer. This is a general humanity. In
Islam, more respect is given to the poor. Prophet (sav) liked the lifestyle of the poor and
he demonstrated it. Prophet’s hadis has been recorded in a book by Hazarat Data Ganj
Bax (R.A.) in his book Kashful Mahzub in which it is recorded that the poor would go in
paradise (jannah) 500 years earlier than the rich !

By keeping less with the individual and donating the maximum to the charity Institutions
can give rise to a socialized system in which big properties, buildings, profits, companies
etc can be owned by charity Institutions (Public Instiutions) who may help the needy and
poor in the society. So, such system can create equality and a balanced financial situation
among the public. This is the real Haquqool Ibaad in Islam. Now a day, it has been a
fashion to flatter the rich. It is against the principles of Islam. When some good words
about aqidah are told, the people among the Muslims try to cut the talk by saying about
haquqool Ibaad. But one thing must be noted that good deeds are always good but such
good deeds virtues might be wiped out to a zero by just slight insult to our beloved
Prophet as can be seen from quranic verse in which the companions of Prophet (sav)
were ordered not to talk in a loud voice in the holy assembly of Prophet (sav) and further
showed the result for loudly talking that all the virtues of good deeds be made zero! So,
we should do good deeds for obtaining pleasure of Allah only. Generally, about 70
percents of the rich are proudy and sunk in the ocean of worldly pleasures. In the
company of the rich, only worldly things are discussed. They are almost zero in
maintaining spirituality. The great saints of Islam advise to keep distance from the rich.
The rich are accumulating wealth by avoiding Islamic financial sacrifice and hence
downgraded from Islamic spirituality in comparision to the poor. Hence the poor must not
surrender to the rich and keep faith on the Allah for assistance and sustenance (food). The
poorness of the poor is the direct result of unjust by the rich who created imbalance in the
society by not properly practicing Islamic sacrifice. The rich are governing the
government in a country. So, such rich people are less in virtues and must not be
respected by the poor.