Tradition

اَلنّاسُ سَوَاءٌ كَأَسْنانِ الْمِشْطِ وَ الْمَرْءُ كَثِيرٌ بِأَخِيْهِ وَ لا خَيْرَ فِى صُحْبَةِ مَنْ لَمْ يَرَ لَكَ مِثْلَ الَّذِى يَرَى لِنَفْسِهِ

Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) is narrated to have said: “The people (in relation to their social rights) are equal to one another much like the teeth of a comb. An individual becomes many in number due to his (religious) brothers. And it is not worthy for one to sit with an individual who does not want for you what he wants for himself.”1

Brief Commentary

Three important principles have been mentioned in this tradition. The first is that all human beings are equal to one another in their rights, no matter their race, language, or social class. The second principle is that individuals are connected to one another in the society and the society relates back to the individual as well. In this way, an individual and his brothers are what really compose a society overall. The third principle manifests the necessity of wanting for others what one wants for himself. This is considered a primary principle of the friendship which exists among the people. A nation in which these three principles are not primary and active is neither an Islamic nation, nor a nation of true human beings.

• 1. Tuhaf al-’Uqul, p. 274.