Imam Hassan al-Askari (peace be upon him) says: “The best of people in the sight of Allah are those who are most aware of the rights of their brothers and most diligent in fulfilling those rights. The one who humbles himself in this world for his brothers is considered among the truthful and the true Shi’a of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) in the sight of Allah.”
Imam Hassan ibn Ali al-Askari (peace be upon him) said: “The most knowledgeable people about the rights of their brothers and the most diligent in fulfilling them are the greatest in the sight of Allah. And whoever humbles himself in this world for his brothers, he is with Allah among the truthful ones and among the true Shi’a of Ali ibn Abi Talib.”[1]
Understanding mutual rights among individuals helps to strengthen and maintain healthy relationships among people. Therefore, human self-awareness, by removing ignorance and forgetfulness, is based on the principle that humanity collectively constitutes one true unit, sharing a common human conscience. The sense of human friendship and humanism exists within all people. In fact, self-awareness reminds a person of their true self, eradicating neglect, and according to human self-awareness, a conscious person is one who is aware of themselves in relation to all other humans.
If this kind of self-awareness develops in an individual, their pain becomes the pain of others, their desires are those of all people, and their orientation and efforts are directed toward the welfare of humanity. Their friendships and enmities all take on a human form, with love for the things that benefit humanity—such as knowledge, culture, health, well-being, freedom, justice, and kindness—and hatred for the enemies of humanity, such as ignorance, poverty, oppression, illness, oppression, and discrimination.
[Note 2: The declarations issued in the name of human rights around the world emphasize this concept, promoting this kind of self-awareness in the global community. This form of self-awareness, if developed, has an ethical dimension. However, although it is logically grounded and has attracted significant attention, it has rarely been fully realized. Why?]
The secret lies in the nature of human existence and reality. Humans are fundamentally different from all other beings. Every creature that enters the world is exactly what it was created to be—its essence, reality, and characteristics are determined by the factors of creation. But for humans, after creation, the process of what they will become and how they will become it begins. A human is not what they were created to be, but what they choose to become; they are shaped by a combination of educational factors, including their own will and choice. This is why we say that each person is the architect and engineer of their own personality; the pen that illustrates and paints their character (as opposed to their body or outward appearance) has been given to them.
But in what kind of people does human self-awareness grow, develop, and create empathy and solidarity? Truly, which people have a collective self, a single spirit governing them?
It is clear that not all humans can be like this. The primitive savage, who remains in the state of infancy and whose human nature is still dormant and unawakened, has no such sense of shared pain or common spirit. The person who has lost the essence of their humanity and has become enslaved to their desires is also obviously far removed from this reality.
Thus, only those who have reached true humanity, who have acquired the essence of human nature, and who are nurtured by innate human virtues, can truly be considered parts of one body, with a single spirit governing them. Since faith is at the core of human virtues, these are truly the faithful.
Therefore, what truly and authentically makes humans one, breathing a single spirit into them, and what produces this moral and human miracle, is shared faith, not shared origin or shared creation.
What is both reality and ideal is the unity of humans who have achieved true humanity and value. Hence, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) states: “The believers are like a single body; when one part of it suffers, the whole body shares in that pain through fever and sleeplessness.”
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The example of the believers in their love, mercy, and compassion for each other is like the body: when one part complains, the whole body responds with fever and sleeplessness.” [2]
There is no doubt that the person who has achieved true humanity has love for all humans and, in fact, for all things. This is why Allah calls the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) a mercy to the worlds. Such individuals even show love toward those who harbor enmity toward them. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said about Ibn Muljam, the one who killed him: “I desire his life, yet he desires my death.”
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: “I desire his life, and he desires my death. I excuse you, my friend, from Murad.” [3]
However, the key is mutual love and shared pain. True mutual love and compassion can only be realized within the community of believers. Thus, Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him) considers this human empathy and love as the measure of superiority, believing that the best people in the sight of Allah are those who are most knowledgeable about the rights of their brothers, who strive to fulfill these rights, and who humble themselves before others in this world.
[Excerpt from the book “Human in the Qur’an” by Martyr Murtadha Mutahhari (with summarization and additions)]
Footnotes:
[1] (Al-Ihtijaj, vol. 2, p. 460)
[2] (Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 58, p. 150, with slight variations in wording)
[3] (A’lam al-Wara, p. 226)