Islamic rights
Question

                What are the most important rights that are respected in Islam?
Praise be to Allah.Islamic rights are many, among the most important 
          of which are the following:  
The rights of Allaah  
The blessings of Allaah to His slaves are 
          innumerable. Every blessing deserves thanks. The rights of Allaah upon 
          His slaves are many, the most important of which include the following:  
          
1.Tawheed, which means believing that Allaah is One in His 
          Essence, His names, His attributes and His deeds. So we should believe 
          that Allaah alone is the Lord, the Sovereign, the Controller, the Creator, 
          the Provider, in Whose hand is Dominion and He is Able to do all things: 
          
“Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the 
          dominion; and He is Able to do all things”[al-Mulk 67:1 – interpretation 
          of the meaning] 
2.‘Ibaadah (worship), which means worshipping Allaah alone because 
          He is their Lord, Creator and Provider. So all kinds of worship should 
          be devoted to Him alone, such as du’aa’ (supplication), dhikr (remembering 
          Allaah), seeking help, humbling oneself, submitting, hope and fear, 
          vows, sacrifices, and so on. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Worship Allaah and join none with 
          Him (in worship)” 
[al-Nisaa’ 4:36] 
3.Shukr (gratitude, giving thanks), for Allaah is the One 
          Who bestows favours and blessings upon all of creation, so they have 
          to show their gratitude for these blessings on their lips and in their 
          hearts and in their physical actions, by praising Allaah and using these 
          blessings to obey Allaah and in ways that Allaah has permitted: 
“Therefore remember Me (by praying, 
          glorifying). I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless 
          Favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me 
[al-Baqarah 
          2:152 – interpretation of the meaning]  
The rights of the Messenger  
The sending of the Messenger  
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is a great blessing for 
          all of mankind. Allah sent him to bring mankind forth from darkness 
          into light, and to show them that which will bring them happiness in 
          this world and in the Hereafter.  
Among the rights that the Messenger has over 
          us are that we should love him, obey him and send blessings upon him. 
          Loving him  (peace and blessings 
          of Allaah be upon him) is achieved by obeying his commands and believing 
          what he told us, avoiding that which he forbade and not worshipping 
          Allaah except in the ways that he prescribed.  
Parent’s rights  
Islam pays special attention to the family 
          and encourages love and respect within it. The parents are the basis 
          and foundation of the family, hence honouring one's parents is one of 
          the best deeds and one of the most beloved actions to Allaah.  
          
Honouring one’s parents is achieved by obeying 
          them, respecting them, being humble towards them, treating them kindly, 
          spending on them, praying for them, upholding ties of kinship with those 
          to whom one is related through them, and honouring their friends:  
          
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but 
          Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents”[al-Israa’ 17:23]  
          
The rights of the mother in this regard 
          are greater, because she is the one who bears the child, gives birth 
          to him and breastfeeds him. A man came to the Prophet  
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of 
          Allaah, who is most deserving of my good companionship?” He said, “Your 
          mother.” He said, “Then who?” He said, “Your mother.” He said, “Then 
          who?” He said, “Your mother.” He said, “Then who?” He said, “Your father.”
(Agreed upon. This version was narrated by al-Bukhaari, 
          al-Adab, 78)  
The rights of one Muslim over another  
The believers are brothers and are an integrated 
          nation, like a building parts of which support other parts. They treat 
          one another with mercy and compassion, and love one another. In order 
          to preserve this building and this brotherhood, Allaah has prescribed 
          rights which each Muslim has over his fellow Muslim. These include love, 
          sincerity (naseehah), relieving his distress, concealing his 
          mistakes, supporting him when he is in the right, respecting neighbours 
          and honouring guests.  
These rights also include returning greetings 
          of salaam, visiting the sick, accepting invitations, saying “yarhamuk 
          Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you) to a Muslim when he sneezes, 
          and attending his funeral. The Prophet  
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The rights of one 
          Muslim over another are five: returning the greeting of salaam, saying 
          ‘yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you)’ when he sneezes, 
          accepting invitations, visiting the sick and attending funerals.” (Narrated 
          by Muslim, 2625) 
 Neighbour’s rights  
Islam pays attention to the issue of neighbours, 
          whether they are Muslim or not, because of the interests served by that 
          in making the nation like one body. The Prophet  
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Jibreel kept on enjoining 
          the good treatment of neighbours to the extent that I thought that he 
          would include neighbours as heirs.” (Agreed upon. Narrated by Muslim, 
          2625)  
Among the rights of one neighbour over 
          another as affirmed by Islam are the initiation of greetings, visiting 
          him if he is sick, offering condolences if calamity befalls him, congratulating 
          him at times of joy, overlooking his mistakes, concealing his faults, 
          bearing his annoyance with patience, giving him gifts, lending him money 
          if he needs it, lowering one’s gaze from looking at his womenfolk, and 
          guiding him to that which will benefit him in his religious and worldly 
          affairs. The Prophet  (peace and 
          blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“The best of companions with Allaah is the one who is 
          best to his companion, and the best of neighbours with Him is the one 
          who is best to his neighbour.”(Narrated by al-Bukhaari in al-Adab 
          al-Mufrad, 115)  
Concerning neighbours’ rights, Allaah says 
          (interpretation of the meaning):  
“Worship Allaah and join none with Him (in worship); 
          and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masaakeen (the poor), 
          the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a stranger, the 
          companion by your side…”[al-Nisaa’ 4:36]  
Islam warns against annoying one’s neighbours 
          or treating them badly. The Messenger  
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained that this would 
          lead to being deprived of Paradise: “He will not enter Paradise from 
          whose harm his neighbour is not safe.” (Agreed upon. Narrated by Muslim, 
          64).  
In order to achieve the common interest, Islam gives 
          rights to the ruler over his subjects and to the subjects over their 
          ruler, and its gives the husband rights over his wife and the wife rights 
          over her husband, and there are other just rights which Islam has enjoined.