Give to People Their Rights

A society whose members readily accept the truth, give respect to others, fulfil their trusts and discharge their responsibilities is the best society.

Who are the best people? According to a tradition of the Prophet, the best people are those who, when given their dues accept them, and when others ask for their dues from them, they give them, and also those who judge people fairly, just as they judge themselves. (Musnad Ahmad 24379)

Those with such virtues are the best people. A society whose members are possessed of such qualities is the best and, consequently, the most successful society.

The signal quality of these people is that they readily accept the truth. When truth is conveyed to them they see how logical it is. Whenever they are reminded of any duty, they are immediately willing to accept it. They see the truth always in the form of what is right and they see falsehood in the form of what is wrong. Therefore, they waste no time in leaving the path of untruth, recognizing the truth and in wholeheartedly accepting it.

Another of their qualities is that whenever they are asked to return anything that has been entrusted to them, they hasten to restore it immediately to the person concerned. Whenever they are reminded of their responsibilities, they unhesitatingly accept them. They are always ready to discharge their responsibility.

The third quality of such individuals is that in the matter of principle, they do not differentiate between themselves and others. They take just measure of others just as they take just measure of themselves. What they think pertains to justice for themselves is applicable in like measure to others. They look at everyone with the same fairness. They deal with others by the same standards as they want others to apply to them.