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Honour Your Neighbour & Allah Will Honour You!

A Moment with Our Prophet, Muhammad (S)

By Imam Zijad Delic

Day 251: Honour Your Neighbour & Allah Will Honour You!

Abu Hurairah (r) narrated that the Prophet (S) said: “Whoever believes in God and the Last day should not harm his/her neighbor.”

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلاَ يُؤْذِ جَارَهُ

Source: Bukhari

Transliteration: “Man Kana Yu’minu Billahi Wal Yawmil Akhiri Fa La Yu’dhi Jarahu.”

Our Prophet (S) taught us that Muslims will not have true faith until their neighbors feel safe from any evil that they may face due to our shortcomings and until Muslims love for their neighbours what they love for themselves.

Al-Ghazali (r) reported that Ibn al-Muqaffa (r) complained about many rats in his house.

Then it was said to him: “If only you had a cat!”

Ibn al-Muqaffa said, “I am afraid that the rats would hear the sound of the cat and flee to the houses of my neighbours, for then I would have loved for them what I do not love for myself.”

Al-Ghazali (r) commented: “Know that it is not only the right of the neighbours to be safe from the harm, but rather also from a potential harm…and that the neighbour also must be treated with kindness, good will, and virtuous conduct.” (Iḥyaʼ Ulumud Din)

قال الغزالي وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ حَقُّ الْجِوَارِ كَفَّ الْأَذَى فقط بل احتمال الأذى فإن الجار أيضاً قد كف أذاه فليس في ذلك قضاء حق ولا يكفي احتمال الأذى بل لابد من الرفق وإسداء الخير والمعروف

Here are a few pearls from the Muslim traditions related to the treatment of our neighbours:

  1. Your neighbor is a measuring stick of your success or failure!

Kulthum al-Khuza’i (r) narrated that a man came to the Prophet (S) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, how may I know if I have done right or wrong?” The Prophet (S) said, “If your neighbors say have you done well, you have done well. If they say you have done badly, you have done badly.” (Ibn Mājah)

عَنْ كُلْثُومٍ الْخُزَاعِيِّ قَالَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ لِي أَنْ أَعْلَمَ إِذَا أَحْسَنْتُ أَنِّي قَدْ أَحْسَنْتُ وَإِذَا أَسَأْتُ أَنِّي قَدْ أَسَأْتُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا قَالَ جِيرَانُكَ قَدْ أَحْسَنْتَ فَقَدْ أَحْسَنْتَ وَإِذَا قَالُوا إِنَّكَ قَدْ أَسَأْتَ فَقَدْ أَسَأْتَ

  1. Being the best neighbor!

Abdullah bin `Umar (r) reported: Messenger of God (S) said, “The best of neighbors, in the sight of God, is the one who is best to his/her neighbor.” (Tirmidhi, Ahmad and Hakim)

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَخَيْرُ الْجِيرَانِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرُهُمْ لِجَارِهِ

  1. Love your neighbor and you will be a true believer!

Anas ibn Malik (r) narrated that the Prophet (S) said: “None of you will have faith until he/she loves for his/her neighbor what he/she loves for himself/herself.” (Muslim)

عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ لا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ
حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِجَارِهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْس

Amongst other points this Hadith explains that it is essential for the true believers to be mindful of their neighbors at all times so that they do not harm them in anyway.

Importance of good treatment to neighbors is an essential condition of Iman/Faith.

It also gives us an idea of the value placed on the rights of neighbors by the Prophet of Islam (S).

In another Hadith, Abu Shurayh (r) narrated that the Prophet (S) said three times, “By Allah, he/she does not have faith!” It was said, “Who is it, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet (S) said, “He/she whose neighbor is not safe from his/her harm.” (Bukhari)

عَنْ أَبِي شُرَيْحٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ وَاللَّهِ لَا يُؤْمِنُ وَاللَّهِ لَا يُؤْمِنُ وَاللَّهِ لَا يُؤْمِنُ قِيلَ وَمَنْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ الَّذِي لَا يَأْمَنُ جَارُهُ بَوَايِقَهُ

The language of the Hadith (the choice of the words) shows how disturbed the Prophet (s) must have been when he said this statement.

The essence contained in this Hadith is that Muslims whose character is such that their neighbors expect nothing but evil from them and their neighbours live in fear of being hurt or harmed by them, cannot be regarded as true and faithful believers.

  1. Treating your neighbors well!

Abdulah ibn ‘Abbas (r) narrated that the Messenger of God (S) said: “Angel Gabriel kept advising me to treat my neighbor well until I thought that he would tell me to make him one of my heirs.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا زَالَ جِبْرِيلُ يُوصِينِي بِالْجَارِ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيُوَرِّثُهُ

This Hadith shows that Angel Gabriel brought commandments from God, concerning the rights of the neighbors so frequently and stressed the need to be kind and courteous to them with such force and regularity that the Messenger (S) thought that the neighbor also will be made an heir i.e. just as parents, children and near relatives inherit the property left by the deceased.

He (S) thought that the neighbor, too, will be given a share in it.
It should be noted that the purpose of this Hadith is not merely to state a fact, but rather it is most effective way of highlighting the importance of the neighbors to Muslims.

  1. Caring for your neighbors!

Abu Dharr (r) narrated that the Prophet (S) “O Abu Dharr, when you cook a stew, put more water in the broth and take care of your neighbors (by sharing it with them).”

In another narration, the Prophet said, “Pour some of it for them courteously.” (Muslim)

عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ‏ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ إِذَا طَبَخْتَ مَرَقَةً فَأَكْثِرْ مَاءَ الْمَرَقَةِ وَتَعَاهَدْ جِيرَانَكَ
وفي رواية أخرى قال فَأَصِبْهُمْ مِنْهَا بِمَعْرُوفٍ

  1. A righteous neighbor contributes to happiness of his/her neighbors!

Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (r) narrated that the Prophet (S) said: “Four things are part of happiness: a righteous spouse, a spacious dwelling, a righteous neighbor, and a comfortable mount. Four things are part of misery: a bad neighbor, a bad spouse, a restrictive dwelling, and a bad mount.” (Ibn Ḥibban)

عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَرْبَعٌ مِنَ السَّعَادَةِ الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَةُ وَالْمَسْكَنُ الْوَاسِعُ وَالْجَارُ الصَّالِحُ وَالْمَرْكَبُ الْهَنِيءُ وَأَرْبَعٌ مِنَ الشَّقَاوَةِ الْجَارُ السُّوءُ وَالْمَرْأَةُ السُّوءُ وَالْمَسْكَنُ الضِّيقُ وَالْمَرْكَبُ السُّوءُ

So, one of these things that contributes to happiness is a righteous neighbor…and the opposite is true as well since a bad neighbor contributes to misery of his/her neighbor!

  1. Honoring Your Neighbor!

Al-Sa’ib ibn Abdullah (r) narrated that the Prophet (S) said to him, “O Sa’ib, look at the character of your deeds (praiseworthy) in the time of ignorance and continue them in Islam: honor the guest, be generous to the orphan, and be good to your neighbor.” (Ahmed)

عَنِ السَّائِبِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ قَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَا سَائِبُ انْظُرْ أَخْلَاقَكَ الَّتِي كُنْتَ تَصْنَعُهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَاجْعَلْهَا فِي الْإِسْلَامِ أَقْرِ الضَّيْفَ وَأَكْرِمْ الْيَتِيمَ وَأَحْسِنْ إِلَى جَارِكَ

  1. Do not eat your full while your neighbor is hungry!

Abdullah Ibn Musawir (r) narrated: “I heard Ibn Abbas (r) mention Ibn Az Zubair (r) saying that he was a miser, then he said: I heard the messenger of God (s) say: He/she is not a believer who eats his/her fill whilst his/her neighbor beside him/her goes hungry.” (Bukhari)

Aisha (r) narrated that the Prophet (S) said: “He/she is not a believer who spends the night satiated while the neighbor to his/her side is hungry.” (al-Mustadrak)

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَن ّرَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَيْسَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي يَبِيتُ شَبْعَانَ وَجَارُهُ جَائِعٌ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ

Mu’awiya ibn Haidah (r) relates that the Messenger Muhammad (S) mentioned that “one of the rights of the neighbor is that one takes care that the aroma of one’s cooking pot and that it does not cause sorrow to the neighbor and his/her children except that one send some of it (the food) to the neighbor.”

  1. Refraining from harming your neighbor is a part of one’s faith!
    Abu Hurairah (r) narrated that the Prophet (S) said: “By God, he/she is not a believer! By God, he/she is not a believer! By Allah, he/she is not a believer.” It was asked, “Who is that, O Messenger of God?’’ He said, “One whose neighbor does not feel safe from his/her evil.” (Bukhari, Muslim).

وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ ‏”‏ والله لا يؤمن، والله لايؤمن، والله لا يؤمن‏!‏‏”‏ قيل‏:‏ من يا رسول الله‏؟‏ قال‏:‏ ‏”‏ الذي لا يأمن جاره بوائقه ‏!‏

In another Hadith, it was narrated by Abu Hurairah (r) that the Prophet (S) said: “Whoever believes in God and the Last day should not harm his/her neighbor.” (Bukhari)

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلاَ يُؤْذِ جَارَهُ

  1. Harming your neighbor severs relations with God and makes Paradise difficult to attain!

Islam warns against annoying one’s neighbors or treating them badly.

Anas Ibn Malik (r) narrated that the Prophet (s) explained that this would lead to being deprived of Paradise: “He/she will not enter Paradise from whose harm his/her neighbor is not safe.” (Muslim)

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ عَبْدٌ لا يَأْمَنُ جَارُهُ بَوَائِقَهُ

Our faith, as taught to us by the Prophet Muhammad (s), urges Muslims to be kind and considerate towards the neighbors.
Neighbors deserve our respect and good treatment regardless of their religion, race or their origin.

The men and women around Prophet Muhammad (s) were constantly reminded of their obligations to God, to one another…and to their neighbors.

Ya Rabb! Guide us to attain your closeness by being close to our neighbors – doing the best for them, loving them, caring about their conditions, contributing to their happiness, honoring them, assisting them in need, not allowing ourselves to ever harm them since harming them could severe our relationship with You, O Merciful and Just Creator!

Allahumma Amin!