Shafaqna Pakistan- Commentary on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right By Mohammad Sobhanie.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَأمّــــــــــــــــــــــا حَقُّ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ، فَالحُكْمُ فِيهِـــــمْ أَنْ تَقبَلَ مِنْهُمْ مَا قَبِلَ اللهُ، وَتَفِي بمَا جَعَلَ اللهُ لَهُمْ مِنْ ذِمَّتِهِ وَعَهْدِهِ، وَتكِلُهُمْ إلَيهِ فِيمَا طَلبُوا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِــــــــــــــمْ وَأُجْبرُِوا عَلَيْهِ وَتحْكُمَ فِيهِمْ بمَـــــــــــــــــا حَكَمَ اللهُ بهِ عَلَى نفْسِكَ فِيمَا جَرَى بَيْنَكَ [وَبيْنَهمْ] مِنْ مُعَامَلَةٍ وَلْيَكُنْ بَينَكَ وَبيْنَ ظُلْمِهِمْ مِنْ رِعَايَةِ ذِمَّةِ اللَّهِ وَالْوَفَاءِ بعَهْــــــــــــــدِهِ وَعَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ – حَائِلٌ فَإنَّهُ بَلَغَنَا أنَّهُ قَالَ “مَنْ ظَلَمَ مُعَاهِـــدًا كُنْتُ خَصْمَهُ” فَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ. ولا حَوْلَ ولا قُوَّةَ إلا باللهِ.
The Right of the People Under Protection of Islam (51st)
Translation: The right of those who are under the protection of Islam is that you accept for them what God has ordained for them—namely, the freedom to live according to their own beliefs. You must remain faithful to the covenant and pledge that God has established with them, entrusting them to Him in the duties they are obligated to uphold. In all interactions and business dealings between you and them, you should act in accordance with what God has decreed for you.
Let adherence to the covenant and pledge made by God and His Messenger serve as a barrier preventing you from doing them any injustice. It has been reported that the Prophet (SAWA) said: “I am the enemy of anyone who oppresses a person with whom I have a covenant.” Therefore, fear God, for all power belongs to Him.
Commentary: The word “ʾahl aḏ-ḏimmah” (أهل الذمة) or “dhimmah” (ذمي) means “the people of the covenant,” which is a historical term for non-Muslims living in an Islamic state who receive legal protection. The term translates to “protected people,” indicating the state’s obligation to safeguard individuals’ lives, property, and freedom of religion. In return for the protection, non-Muslims are expected to show loyalty to the state and pay the jizya, a tax distinct from zakat, the obligatory alms that Muslim subjects are required to pay.
Dhimmi were exempt from military service and other duties assigned exclusively to Muslims; otherwise, they were treated equally under laws governing property, contracts, and obligations.[1]
The Islamic compassion shown toward the Dhimmi is profound and deserves more attention than can be given in this brief treatise. I would like to recount an incident that took place during the caliphate of the Commander of the Faithful, Imām ʿAlī (AS). It was reported to the Imām that a man from Muʿāwiyah’s army had forcibly taken gold and jewelry from a Christian woman, and her cries for help went unanswered. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) expressed his deep sorrow over the oppression inflicted upon a Dhimmi with the following words:[2]
فَلَوْ أَنَّ امْرَأً مُسْلِماً مَاتَ مِن بَعْدِ هَذا أَسَفاً مَا كَانَ بِهِ مَلُوماً، بَلْ كَانَ بِهِ عِنْدِي جَدِيراً.
If any Muslim dies from grief after all this, he is not to be blamed; instead, there is justification for him before me.
Imām Sajjād (AS) gave the following advice regarding “ʾahl aḏ-ḏimmah” (أهل الذمة) or “the Protected People in Islam”:
- Accept what God has ordained for them, which is to allow them to live according to their beliefs.
- Remain faithful to the covenant and pledge that God has established with them, entrusting them to Him in the duties they are required to perform.
- In any interactions and business transactions between you and them, you should act in accordance with what God has commanded you.
- Let adherence to the covenant and pledge made by God and His messenger serve as protection against any injustice toward them.
Translation of Phrases.
| And the right of those under the protection of Islam is that | وَأمّــــــــــــــــــــــا حَقُّ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ |
| you should accept from them what God has accepted | فَالحُكْمُ فِيهِـــــمْ أَنْ تَقبَلَ مِنْهُمْ مَا قَبِلَ اللهُ، |
| You should be faithful to the covenant and pledge that God has made with them | وَتَفِي بمَا جَعَلَ اللهُ لَهُمْ مِنْ ذِمَّتِهِ وَعَهْدِهِ |
| And leave them to Him | وَتكِلُهُمْ إلَيهِ |
| in what (duty) they have been asked and have obliged to do. | فِيمَا طَلبُوا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِــــــــــــــمْ وَأُجْبرُِوا عَلَيْهِ |
| And you should judge among them by what God has decreed for you in the (business) transactions that occurred between you and them. | وَتحْكُمَ فِيهِمْ بمَـــــــــــــــــا حَكَمَ اللهُ بهِ عَلَى نفْسِكَ فِيمَا جَرَى بَيْنَكَ [وَبيْنَهمْ] مِنْ مُعَامَلَةٍ |
| Let there be a barrier | وَلْيَكُنْ … حَائِلٌ |
| between you and doing injustice to them. | بَينَكَ وَبيْنَ ظُلْمِهِمْ |
| observing God’s covenant and respect for His promise and His Messenger’s (SAWA) promise | مِنْ رِعَايَةِ ذِمَّةِ اللَّهِ وَالْوَفَاءِ بعَهْــــــــــــــدِهِ وَعَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ – |
| It is reported that the Prophet (SAWA) said: ” I am an enemy of anyone who oppresses someone with whom he has a covenant.” Therefore, fear God. | فَإنَّهُ بَلَغَنَا أنَّهُ قَالَ “مَنْ ظَلَمَ مُعَاهِـــدًا كُنْتُ خَصْمَهُ” فَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ. |
| And there is no power but in God. | ولا حَوْلَ ولا قُوَّةَ إلا باللهِ. |
Conclusion:
فَهَذِهِ خَمْسُونَ حَقّاً مُحِيطاً بِكَ لَا تَخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فِي حَال مِنَ الأَحْوَالِ يَجِبُ عَلَيْكَ رِعَايَتُهَا وَ الْعَمَلُ فِي تَأْدِيَتِهَا وَ الاِسْتِعَانَةُ بِاللَّهِ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَ لَا حَوْلَ وَ لا قُوَّةَ اِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ- وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ
Translation: These are the fifty rights that encompass you, from which you are not exempt. It is obligatory upon you to uphold them, strive to fulfill them, and seek help and assistance from God Almighty in doing so. There is no power except through God, the Almighty, and all praise and thanks belong to the Lord of the Universe.
Commentary: In this brief treatise, Imām Sajjād (AS) outlines fifty one rights that encompass all aspects of our lives. These rights apply to every situation and circumstance we encounter. When we are alone, we must honor the rights of God and our own rights. When we are with family, in addition to respecting God’s rights and our own, we must also uphold the rights of our father, mother, brothers, sisters, spouse, children, and other relatives—all of which are obligatory.
In society, we must respect the rights of all people. When we form friendships or partnerships, it is essential to acknowledge and uphold the rights of those with whom we associate. If we occupy positions of authority, we must honor the rights of those under our care. Conversely, if we are in subordinate roles, we must respect the rights of our leaders. If we possess knowledge, we must observe the rights of our students; and if we are students, we must acknowledge the rights of our teachers. Ultimately, we must recognize the importance of fulfilling our obligations in every aspect of life.
In this regard, Imām Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn (AS) instructs us to seek help and assistance from God. For this reason, on many occasions—after explaining each right—the Imām (AS) stated: “There is no power or strength except with God.” Without the help of God Almighty, it is not possible to properly fulfill these rights.
Note:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhimmi
[2] https://al-islam.org/nahjul-balagha-part-1-sermons/sermon-27-indeed-surely-jihad-one-doors-paradise
Part of a Series: Commentary on Imam Al-Sajjad’s (AS) treaties of right
Source: Shafaqna English
