Reviewed By: Ustadha Heba Mustafa Redy 

Obligations as a Muslim are the duties of being a Muslim performs.

On account of Abu Hurairah (radhiyallaahu ‘anhu), The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said:

“The rights of the Muslim upon the Muslim are six.”, “When you meet him, give him the greeting of peace, When he invites you, respond to his invitation, When he seeks your advice, advise him, When he sneezes and praises Allah, supplicate for mercy upon him, When he becomes ill, visit him, and When he dies to follow him (i.e., his funeral)” [Muslim]

Whoever establishes these obligations as a Muslim to the other Muslims and fulfills these obligations and rights being a Muslim gets a tremendous reward from Allah.

First Obligation as a Muslim:

The first duty of a Muslim upon a Muslim is “Greeting of Peace.”

When we meet others. We supplicate the other for safety from evils by saying ‘Assalam u Alaykum.’ Thus, giving the greeting of peace is the right of the Muslims. And the greeted person must return the greeting with a similar greeting. And the best of the people are those who first start the greeting of peace.

Second Duty of a Muslim

The second duty of a Muslim upon a Muslim is to “Respond to his Invitation.”

When anybody invites you for some food and drink, fulfill your brother’s request, who has drawn near you and honored you with the invitation. Accept his invitation unless you have an excuse.

Third Obligation as a Muslim

The third duty of a Muslim upon a Muslim is to “Advise him when He seeks.”

If anyone seeks consultation, advise him about what you would like for yourself. Thus, if the action is beneficial in all aspects, then encourage him to do that, and if it is something harmful, then warn him against it. Please give him a valuable opinion.

Fourth Duty of a Muslim:

A Muslim’s fourth duty is to “Answer to his sneeze.”

This is because, in a sneeze, blocked air in certain parts of the body of the human being expels. Allah makes it easy for this air to have a passage out where it can exit; thus, the sneezing person feels relief.

On account of Abu Hurairah (radhiyallaahu ‘anhu)

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said:

“When one of you sneezes, he must say ‘Alhamdulillah.’And when he says ‘Alhamdulillah,’ his brother should say ‘Yar hamak Allah’ (may Allah have mercy on you). The sneezer must then say (in response) ‘yahadik Allah wa yuslih Balak (may Allah guide you and improve your affairs.) [Bukhari]

Fifth Obligation of a Muslim

The fifth duty of a Muslim upon a Muslim is to “Visit him when he is Sick.”

Visiting the sick is the Muslim right, especially for the person who has a highly stressed and emphasized right upon you, like the relative and the friend. It is from the best of the righteous deeds. We should ease his worries by giving him glad tidings of well-being, recovery, and advantageous admonition.

Sixth Obligation as a Muslim:

The sixth duty of a Muslim is to “Attend his funeral.”

A Muslim must attend the funeral of other Muslims. It is obligatory.

Narrated by Abu Huraira, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever attends the funeral of a Muslim out of faith and in the hope of reward and remains with it until the prayer is offered and the burial is completed, will return with two Qirats. Each Qirat is like the size of (Mount) Uhud. And whoever offers the funeral prayer and returns before the burial will return with one Qirat.” Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1325 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith 945

The Quran and Sunnah ordain the obligations of a Muslim. If we fulfill these fundamental rights of Muslims, we can hope that much envy, malice, and hatred in society will vanish. The ultimate goal is to seek Allah’s pleasure and salvation in the Hereafter.