Question1462: Is it obligatory to accept the invitation of a believing and Muslim person?
Answer
هل یجب اجابة دعوة المؤمن؟
✅Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:
1 عن مُعَلَّى بن خُنَيْسٍ عن أَبِي عبداللَّه قال: إِنَّ مِنَ الْحُقُوقِ الْوَاجِبَاتِ لِلْمُومن أَنْ يجِيبَ دَعْوَتَهُ
📚 Mahasin, vol.2, p.411
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Among the obligatory rights of a believer is responding to his invitation!
2 عن جابر عن أَبِي جَعْفر قال قال رَسُولُ اللَّه أُوصِي الشَّاهِدَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي وَ الْغَائِبَ أَنْ يُجِيبَ دَعْوَةَ الْمُسْلِمِ وَ لَوْ عَلَى خَمْسَةِ أَمْيَالٍ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الدِّين
📚 Mahasin, vol.2, p.411
Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: Indeed, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) advised the present and absent members of my community to respond to the invitation of a Muslim, even if it is five miles (9 kilometers) away, for this is part of the religion!
ٍ3 عن إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْكَرْخِيِّ قال قال أَبُوعَبْداللَّه قال رَسُولُ اللَّه لَوْ أَنَّ مُؤْمِناً دَعَانِي إِلَى طَعَامِ ذِرَاعِ شَاةٍ لَأَجَبْتُهُ وَ كَانَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الدِّين
📚 Mahasin, vol.2, p.411
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: If a believer invites me to a meal of sheep’s trotters, I will respond, and this is part of the religion!
4 عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا الْعِرَاقِيِّينَ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّه مِنْ أَعْجَزِ الْعَجْزِ رَجُلٌ دَعَاهُ أَخُوهُ إِلَى طَعَامٍ فَتَرَكَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ عِلَّة
📚 Mahasin, vol.2, p.411
The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: One of the weakest of the weak is the person whose brother invites him to a meal and he refuses without a valid reason!
📚 Mahasin, vol.2, p.410
5 عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ وَ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه قَالَ: مِنْ حَقِّ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ أَنْ يُجِيبَهُ إِذَا دَعَاهُ
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Among the rights of a Muslim over another Muslim is that when he invites him, he should respond!
📚 Al-Kafi, vol.2, p.169
6 عَنْ مُعَلَّى بن خنیس عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّهِ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ مَا حَقُّ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ قَالَ لَهُ سَبْعُ حُقُوقٍ وَاجِبَاتٍ مَا مِنْهُنَّ حَقٌّ إِلَّا وَ هُوَ عَلَيْهِ وَاجِبٌ إِنْ ضَيَّعَ مِنْهَا شَيْئاً خَرَجَ مِنْ وِلَايَةِ اللَّهِ وَ طَاعَتِهِ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِلَّهِ فِيهِ مِنْ نَصِيبٍ قُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ وَ مَا هِيَ الی ان قال وَ الْحَقُّ السَّابِعُ أَنْ تُبِرَّ قَسَمَهُ وَ تُجِيبَ دَعْوَتَهُ وَ تَعُودَ مَرِيضَهُ وَ تَشْهَدَ جَنَازَتَهُ وَ إِذَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ لَهُ حَاجَةً تُبَادِرُهُ إِلَى قَضَائِهَا
Mu‘alli ibn Khunis said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the rights of a Muslim over another Muslim. He said: There are seven obligatory rights, and none should be neglected; if any is neglected, one falls outside divine guardianship and obedience and has no share from God! I asked: Which are they? He said: The seventh right is that you should confirm his oath, respond to his invitation, visit him when he is ill, attend his funeral, and hasten to fulfill his needs when you become aware of them!
📚 Qurb al-Asnad, p.74
7 أَبُو الْبختريِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ثَلَاثَةٌ مِنَ الْجَفَاءِ أَنْ يَصْحَبَ الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ فَلَا يَسْأَلَهُ عَنِ اسْمِهِ وَ كُنْيَتِهِ وَ أَنْ يُدْعَى الرَّجُلُ إِلَى طَعَامٍ فَلَا يُجِيبَ أَوْ يُجِيبَ فَلَا يَأْكُلَ...
From Imam Sadiq from his father from the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) who said: Three acts constitute oppression: First, when a man associates with another and does not ask about his name or nickname; second, when a man is invited to a meal and refuses or responds but does not eat from it...
📚 Da‘aim al-Islam, vol.2, p.107
8 عن الحسین بن علی : أَنَّهُ رَأَى رَجُلًا دُعِيَ إِلَى طَعَامٍ فَقَالَ لِلَّذِي دَعَاهُ اعْفُنِي فَقَالَ الْحسَینُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ قُمْ فَلَيْسَ فِي الدَّعْوَةِ عَفْوٌ إِنْ كُنْتَ مُفْطِراً فَكُلْ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ صَائِماً فَبَارِكْ
Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) saw a man being invited to a meal who said to the inviter: 'Excuse me!' Imam Husayn said: Do not refuse an invitation! If you are not fasting, eat the food; if you are fasting, give it blessings!
✅Responding to the invitation of a believer is one of his rights, and it is obligatory to fulfill it; neglecting it without a valid reason is considered oppression.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر