The prime nature and the substance of Islam is to worship the only one God whose name is Allah; and else to do good and to be good to mankind in particular, and to all our fellow - creatures in general. The verse alludes to a series of rights and instructions to observe such rights. These rights, the observance of which is obligatory and incumbent upon us all, are the rights of the creator and those of His creatures, and some ten instructions can be deduced from the verse as undermentioned:
1- First of all the verse enjoins to worship God and believe in His oneness, associating nothing with Him as partners. Leaving polytheism and believeing in Monotheism is the essence of Islam, without which no one can be a Muslim.
2- Then comes the turn of doing good to the parents which is second important instruction after the faith in Monotheism. the rights of father and mother have frequently been mentioned in Qurän, and less a subject will you find in the Book with so much emphasis and stress.
3- The third commandment is to do good to family and relative. This virtue is enjoined here and there in the Book; sometimes in the form of observing the bonds of relationship, and sometimes in an imperative mood, to do good to relatives and kindreds.
4- In the fourth stage it is ordained to observe the rights of orphans, and not to devour their properties, and injure them not the least in any way.
5- Then the rights of the poor and needy is called to be observed. In a community there might be so many indigents that must not be ignored or forgotten, because leaving them unattended is against all human tenets and philosophy.
6 & 7- Then comes the commands for doing good to neighbours. These may either be near and relatives or intimates and friends, or neighbour who are far and strangers whatsoever.
The rights of neighbours and doing good to them in the sight of Islam is so important a matter, that Hazrat Imam Ali (AS) has said:
``The prophet put so much emphasis and stress on the observation of the rights of the neighbours that we thought he would finally order the neighbours to inherit one another.'' Once the prophet repeated thrice the phrase that: ``Upon my God he believes not in Me!'' When he was asked: ``who believes not in you?'' the prophet answered: ``He whose neighbour has no respite from his offence!''
8- Then the verse refers to those who are associates, and have ties of friendship with us. The Arabic `SÄHIB - BELJANB' which is translated here to; `near companions' has a wider meaning than a friend, a favourer, or an intimate. in rather demands sociability and good and fair behaviour to all other people, and even to all man's fellow creatures.
9- The nineth group of people that are to be dealt with kindness and Mercy, are the wayfarers who have been in need of some help. The verse wants no one to avoid giving them a hand.
10- And finally the verse enjoins doing good to what our right hands possess. These recommended ones may still exist, not under the title of slavery, but in various forms, such as the people in your power and in your charge. Even the animals who are not able to speak and express their feelings are all God's creatures and God loves them all and therefore they deserve our sympathy and service.
