Shafaqna English- Commentary on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right By Mohammad Sobhanie.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَ أَمَّا حَقُّ الْمَسْئُولِ فَحَقُّهُ إنْ أَعْطَى قُبلَ مِنْهُ مَـــــــــــــا أَعْطَى بالشُّكْرِ لَهُ، وَالمَعْرِفَةِ لِفَضْلِهِ وَطَلَبَ وَجْهِ الْعُذْرِ فِي مَنعِهِ، وَأَحْسَنَ بهِ الظَّنَّ. وَاعْلَمْ أنَّهُ إنْ مَنِعَ، فَمَالَهُ مَنَعَ وَأَنْ لَيْسَ التَّثرِيبُ فِي مَــــــــــالِه، وَإنْ كَانَ ظَالِمًا فَإنَّ الإنسَانَ لَظلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ.
The Right of the One From Whom You Seek Help (Helper) (47th)
Translation: The right of those from whom you seek help is that you accept whatever they choose to offer with gratitude and acknowledge their generosity. If they decide to withhold assistance, you should respect their decision and think well of them. In such a case, they are merely choosing to retain their own resources and property, and they should not be blamed for that. Do not be surprised if they act stingily; indeed, mankind is generally most unjust and ungrateful.
Commentary:
When we ask someone for help, they will either choose to assist us or decline our request. As Imām Sajjād advised, if they offer assistance, we should gratefully accept it and express our appreciation for their kindness. On the other hand, if they turn us down, we should accept their reasons without harboring any negative feelings toward them. Ultimately, those who deny help without reason will be deemed ungrateful and will be held accountable for this on the Day of Judgment.
Imām Sajjād stated the right of those whom we ask for help is:
- We should gratefully accept whatever they choose to offer and acknowledge their
- If they decline to help, we should respect their decision and avoid harboring any resentment or suspicions toward them. In this case, they are simply opting to retain their own resources and property by not sharing with others.
- We should leave the judgment to God. They may be viewed amongst the wrongdoers and ungrateful people who have unjustly failed to help needy people on the Day of Judgment.
Translation of Phrases:
| And the right of him who begs from you is that | وَ أَمَّا حَقُّ الْمَسْئُولِ فَحَقُّهُ |
| you should accept from him whatever he grants you with gratitude | إنْ أَعْطَى قُبلَ مِنْهُ مَـــــــــــــا أَعْطَى بالشُّكْرِ لَهُ، |
| and acknowledge his nobility | وَالمَعْرِفَةِ لِفَضْلِهِ |
| And if he withheld, you should accept his excuse and think well of him. | وَطَلَبَ وَجْهِ الْعُذْرِ فِي مَنعِهِ، وَأَحْسَنَ بهِ الظَّنَّ. |
| And you should realize that if he withheld, he is withholding his own property | وَاعْلَمْ أنَّهُ إنْ مَنِعَ، فَمَالَهُ مَنَعَ |
| and that he could not be blamed for withholding his own property. | وَأَنْ لَيْسَ التَّثرِيبُ فِي مَــــــــــالِه، |
| If he is doing wrong (by refraining to help), “then man is certainly wrong-doing and ungrateful.” | وَإنْ كَانَ ظَالِمًا فَإنَّ الإنسَانَ لَظلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ. |
Part of a Series: Commentary on Imam Al-Sajjad’s (AS) treaties of right
Commentary on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) treaties of right (Part 50)