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A Muslim's rights over a fellow Muslim (huquq al-muslim ala akhihi)

حقوق المسلم على أخيه المسلم

A Muslim's duties toward a fellow Muslim, as Sheikh Omar Abdelkafy presents them in one lesson of his series on rights: greeting, visiting the sick, congratulating and consoling, avoiding backbiting, and standing by one's brother.

Depth

At a glance

Region
Global / Diaspora
Review

Ethics and character

Summary

In the third lesson of his series on rights, Sheikh Omar Abdelkafy takes up a Muslim's rights over a fellow Muslim, after the rights of spouses. 1

Six rights

The Sheikh counts six rights of a Muslim over his brother, and names greeting on meeting, visiting the sick, following the funeral, congratulating a brother when good comes to him, and consoling him when misfortune strikes. 2 (needs_source: the full list is not clear in the transcript)

Greeting and the ties of kinship

The Sheikh speaks of people who stop greeting relatives because of a quarrel, and urges that greetings be spread among people. 3 He says that keeping the ties of kinship means joining those who have cut you off, not only those who keep in touch with you. 4

Standing by a brother

He says that when a brother is in trouble, his brother should stand beside him and visit him, and not wait to be asked. 5

Helping a brother

He recounts a saying about helping a brother whether he is wronged or the one who wrongs, and says a questioner asked how to help one who does wrong; the answer is not clear in the transcript (needs_source). 6

Backbiting

The Sheikh warns against backbiting and compares it to fire that consumes wood, saying that all people fall into it. 7 He observes that backbiting has spread through offices, gatherings and neighbourhoods, and that in his time men engage in it more than women. 8 He defines it as mentioning a brother with what he dislikes: if the thing is in him it is backbiting, and if it is not in him it is slander. 8

People and things also explored

Ada' al-dayn (paying a debt: its ruling, the manner of payment, insolvency and the debts of the dead)· Ada' al-shahada (performing testimony: the duty on request, the excused witness, and the wording)· Manners of the Qur'an bearer· Biting and the liability for injury it causes (add)· Adha (harm of a slight kind: removing harmful things and the duty not to harm)· Justice and grace (adl wal-fadl)· Pardon (afw) in purity, worship, contracts and penalties· Covenant (ahd) and the duty to keep it; oath by the covenant of God

Sources

  1. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Al Hoquq, episode 3, at 00:01:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  2. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Al Hoquq, episode 3, at 00:03:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  3. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Al Hoquq, episode 3, at 00:03:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  4. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Al Hoquq, episode 3, at 00:04:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  5. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Al Hoquq, episode 3, at 00:05:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  6. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Al Hoquq, episode 3, at 00:06:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  7. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Al Hoquq, episode 3, at 00:08:30 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
  8. Assabile archive of Omar Abdelkafy's lectures (audio and video) , Al Hoquq, episode 3, at 00:09:00 · Listen at the archive (opens the audio at this time)
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “A Muslim's rights over a fellow Muslim (huquq al-muslim ala akhihi)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/huquq-al-muslim-ala-akhihi/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-25.

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Wing

People

Prophets, companions, scholars, rulers, scientists, poets, travelers: women and men who shaped the story. Related

Ada' al-dayn (paying a debt: its ruling, the manner of payment, insolvency and the debts of the dead)

Paying a debt in the form owed is obligatory by consensus. A debt due now must be paid on demand when the debtor can pay; a deferred debt is not due before its term. Payment is made in like items, with value owed where there is no like; a better payment is allowed when unconditioned. Remission, gift, assignment, set-off and settlement take the place of payment. A solvent debtor who refuses is compelled, imprisoned and his apparent property sold; the majority hold that a bankrupt is put under interdiction and his property divided among creditors, against Abu Hanifa. The insolvent is given respite, and his debt may be paid from zakat if he borrowed for himself in a lawful matter. A dead person's debt attaches to his estate and takes precedence over bequests and inheritance.