The Treatise on Rights

The Risalat al-Huquq (Treatise on Rights) is the only work attributed to Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS) other than supplications or relatively short sayings and letters. Huquq is plural of Haq and is best translated as "rights". However, other words such as justice, truth, obligations, duties, responsibilities have meanings closely related to Haq.

بسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the All-merciful, the All-compassionate

إعْلَمْ رَحِمَكَ اللهُ أَنَّ للهِ عَلَيْكَ حُقُوقًا مُحِيطَةً بكَ فِي كلِّ حَرَكَةٍ تَحَرَّكْتَهَا،

Know - God have mercy upon you - that God has rights against you and that these encompass you in every movement through which you move,

أَوْ سَكَنَةٍ سَكَنْتَهَا،

every rest through which you rest,

أَوْ مَنْزِلَةٍ نَزَلْتَهَا،

every way-station in which you reside,

أَوْ جَارِحَةٍ قَلَّبْتَهَا

every limb which you employ,

وَآلَةٍ تَصَرَّفْتَ بهَا،

and every instrument which you put to work.

بَعْضُهَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْ بَعْضٍ.

Some of these rights are greater and some less.

وَأَكْبَرُ حُقُوقِ اللهِ عَلَيْكَ مَا أَوْجَبَهُ لِنَفْسِهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مِنْ حَقِّهِ الَّذِي هُوَ أَصْلُ الْحُقُوقِ وَمِنْهُ تَفَرَّعَ.

The greatest of God's rights against you is the right which He has made incumbent upon you for Himself and which is the root of all rights,

ثُمَّ أَوْجَبَهُ عَلَيْكَ لِنَفْسِكَ مِنْ قَرْنِكَ إلَى قَدَمِكَ عَلَى اِختِلافِ جَوَارِحِكَ.

then those which He has made incumbent upon you in yourself, from your crown to your foot, in keeping with the diversity of your organs.

فَجَعَلَ لِلِسَانِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا

He has given your tongue a right against you,

وَلِسَمْعِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا

your hearing a right against you,

وِ لِبَصَرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا

your sight a right against you,

وَلِيَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا

your hand a right against you,

وَلِرِجْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا

your leg a right against you,

وَلِبَطْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا

your stomach a right against you,

وَلِفَرْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا،

and your private part a right against you.

فَهَذِهِ الْجَوَارِحُ السَّبْعُ الَّتِي بهَا تَكُونُ الأَفْعَالُ.

These are the seven organs through which acts (af'al) take place.

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لأَفْعَالِكَ عَلَيْكَ حُقُوقًا فَجَعَلَ لِصَلاتِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا

Then He gave your acts rights against you: He gave your ritual prayer a right against you,

وَلِصَوْمِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا

your fasting a right against you,

وَلِصَدَقَتِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا

your charity a right against you,

وَلِهَدْيِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا

your offering a right against you,

وَلأَفعَالِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا.

and your acts a right against you.

 ثُمَّ تَخرُجُ الْحُقُوقُ مِنْكَ إلَى غَيْرِكَ مِنْ ذَوِي الْحُقُوقِ الْوَاجِبةِ عَلَيكَ.

Then these rights extend out from you to others who have rights against you.

وَأَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حُقُوقُ أَئِمَّتِكَ

The most incumbent of them against you are the rights toward your leaders (a'imma),

ثُمَّ حُقُوقُ رَعِيَّتِكَ

then the rights toward your subjects (ra'iyya),

ثُمَّ حُقُوقُ رَحِمِكَ.

then the rights toward your womb [relatives] (rahim).

فَهَذِهِ حُقُوقٌ يَتَشَعَّبُ مِنْهَا حُقُوقٌ:

From these rights branch out other rights.

فَحُقُوقُ أَئِمَّتِكَ ثَلاثَةٌ

The rights of your leaders are three:

أَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالسُّلْطَانِ

The most incumbent upon you is the right of him who trains you through authority,

ثُمَّ سَائِسِكَ بالْعِلْمِ،

then of him who trains you through knowledge,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالْمُلْكِ.

then of him who trains you through property.

وَحُقُوقُ رَعِيَّتِكَ ثلاثَةٌ

The rights of your subjects are three:

أَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حَقُّ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالسُّلْطَان،

The most incumbent upon you is the right of those who are your subjects through authority,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ رعِيَّتِكَ بالْعِلْمِ،

then the right of those who are your subjects through knowledge –

فَإنَّ الْجَاهِلَ رَعِيَّةُ الْعَالِمِ،

for the man of ignorance is the subject of the man of knowledge –

وَحَقُّ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالْمُلْكِ

then the right of those who are your subjects through property,

مِنَ الأَزْوَاجِ

such as wives

وَمَا مَلَكْتَ مِنَ الأَيْمَانِ.

and what is owned by the right hand.

وَحُقُوقُ رَحِمِكَ كَثِيرَةٌ مُتَّصِلَةٌ بقَدْرِ اتِّصَالِ الرَّحِمِ فِي الْقَرَابَةِ

The rights of your womb relatives are many; they are connected to you in the measure of the connection of the womb relationship.

فَأَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حَقُّ أُمِّكَ

The most incumbent upon you is the right of your mother,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَبيكَ

then the right of your father,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ وَلَدِكَ

then the right of your child,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَخِيكَ

then the right of your brother,

ثُمَّ الأَقْرَبُ

then the next nearest,

فَالأَقْرَبُ

then the next nearest –

وَالأَوَّلى

the most worthy,

فَالأَوَّلى.

then the next most worthy.

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَوْلاكَ الْمُنْعِمِ عَلَيْكَ،

Then there is the right of your master who favours you [by freeing you from slavery],

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَوْلاكَ الْجَارِيَةُ نِعْمَتُكَ عَلَيْهِ،

then the right of the slave whose favours reach you [by the fact that you free him],

ثُمَّ حَقُّ ذِي الْمَعْرُوفِ لَدَيْكَ،

then the right of him who does a kindly act toward you,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مُؤَذِّنُكَ بالصَّلاةِ،

then the right of the mu’adhdhin who calls you to the ritual prayer,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ إمَامِكَ فِي صَلاتِكَ،

then the right of the imam who leads the prayer,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ جَلِيسِكَ،

then the right of your sitting companion,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ جَارِكَ،

then the right of your neighbour,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ صَاحِبكَ،

then the right of your companion,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ شَرِيكِكَ،

then the right of your partner,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَالِكَ،

then the right of your property,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ غَرِيمِكَ الَّذِي تُطَالِبُهُ،

then the right of him who has a debt he must pay back to you,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ غَرِيمِكَ الَّذِي يُطَالِبُكَ،

then the right of him to whom you owe a debt.

ثُمَّ حَقُّ خَلِيطِكَ،

Then the right of your associate,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ خَصْمِكَ الْمُدَّعِي عَلَيْكَ،

then the right of your adversary who has a claim against you,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ خَصْمِكَ الَّذِي تَدَّعِي عَلَيْهِ،

then the right of your adversary against whom you have a claim,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مُسْتَشِيرِكَ،

then the right of him who asks you for advice,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ الْمُشِيرِ عَلَيْكَ،

then the right of him whom you ask for advice,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مُسْتَنْصِحِكَ،

then the right of him who asks your counsel,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ النَّاصِحِ لَكَ،

then the right of him who counsels you,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَنْ هُوَ أَكْبَرُ مِنْكَ،

then the right of him who is older than you,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَنْ هُوَ أَصْغَرُ مِنْكَ،

then the right of him who is younger than you.

ثُمَّ حَقُّ سَائِلِكَ،

Then the right of him who asks from you,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَن سَأَلْتَهُ،

then the right of him from whom you ask,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَن جَرَى لَكَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ مَسَاءَةٌ بقَوْلٍ أَو فِعْلٍ

then the right of him who does something evil to you through word or deed,

أَوْ مَسَرَّةٍ بذَلِكَ بقَوْلٍ أَوْ فِعْلٍ

or him who makes you happy through word or deed,

عَنْ تَعَمُّدٍ مِنْهُ أَوْ غَيْرِ تَعَمُّدٍ مِنْهُ،

intentionally or unintentionally,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَهْلِ مِلَّتِكَ عَامَّةً

then the right of the people of your creed,

ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ،

then the right of the people under your protection,

ثُمَّ الْحُقُوقُ الْجَارِيَةُ بقَدْرِ عِلَل الأَحْوَالِ وَتَصَرُّفِ الأَسْبَاب.

then all rights in the measure of the causes of the states and the occurrence of events.

فَطُوبَى لِمَنْ أَعَانَهُ اللهُ عَلَى قَضَاءِ مَا أَوْجَبَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ حُقُوقِهِ وَوَفَّقَهُ وَسَدَّدَهُ.

Therefore happy is he whom God aids in the rights which He has made incumbent upon him and whom He gives success therein and points in the proper direction!