THE NEIGHBOUR’S RIGHTS IN ISLAM
Almighty Allah ordered believers to keep the ties of kinship intact and forbade them from being ungrateful. He further confirmed the right of a Muslim over another Muslim. The neighbour has a right over his neighbor, even if he is not a Muslim or is a sinner.
A neighbour’s right is proven in many verses of the Quran and hadith. It was even said that the angel Jibreel kept emphasizing to Muhammad ﷺ the importance of a neighbour’s rights until the Prophet ﷺ developed the impression that Jibreel was going to prescribe a share in the inheritance for the neighbour. No one harms his neighbour except an ill-mannered person who is wicked and evil. The Prophet ﷺ said,
“By Allah, he does not believe. By Allah, he does not believe. By Allah, he does not believe.” It was said, “O Messenger of Allah! Verily, he lost and failed. Who is he?” He said, “It is he whose neighbour does not feel safe from his Bawaaiq.” They asked, “What is his Bawaaiq?” He ﷺ said, “His evil.”
The Arabs before and after Islam were proud of being kind to their neighbours. They even priced their houses according to how valuable their neighbour was. Furthermore, Islam has made it incumbent upon Muslims to be kind and benevolent to their neighbors regardless of their neighbours’ religion. It was even ruled that a wicked person is one whom people avoid for his ill-manners, terrible behavior and harmful actions. The most disgusting and revolting neighbors are those who search for people’s (and also their neighbour’s) faults and deficiencies. They do not mind invading people’s privacy. Thus they cannot be entrusted with people’s lives, religion, money or property. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
“He who believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his neighbour; he who believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his guest; and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak well or remain silent.” (Agreed upon)
In another hadith the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “A believer is he who the people feel safe with. A Muslim is he who the Muslims are protected from his tongue and hand. The Emigrant is he who abandons evil. By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, he will not enter Paradise whose neighbor is not secure from his evil.”
It is really shameful to go to sleep with a full stomach while one’s neighbour is hungry. It is shameful to always wear new clothes, yet be so stingy that one would not even give his neighbor used clothes to cover his nudity. It is shameful to enjoy all the good things one has - food, clothes, perfume, and much more - while his or her neighbours long for bones and dry bread. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged giving things away to neighbours even if it were a little thing? He ﷺ said, “Certainly, a woman should not belittle what her neighbour gives her, even if it is a sheep’s intestines.”
He ﷺ addressed his companion Abu Dhar saying, “O Abu Dhar! When you cook, add more water (i.e., to make enough soup) and take care of your neighbors (by sending them some of it).”
It is important to remember that a neighbour has rights upon his/her neighbour, which must be fulfilled! These rights are easy to fulfill. When meeting a neighbour or running into him accidentally, one should greet him by saying Salam (Assalamu Alaikum). When he falls sick, one should visit him. When he dies, one should attend his funeral and look after his children after his death as if one were their father looking after them. A neighbour must stand by his neighbour in happiness, grief, hardship and ease. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The best of companions with Allah is the one who is good to his companion, and the best of neighbours with Allah is the one who is good to his neighbour.”
Islam Prohibits Harming Neighbours
It is prohibited for one to peek into his neighbour’s house, especially while he is not paying attention. One should know that he, who looks into his neighbuor’s house without his permission, would have his eyes filled from Hellfire. It is forbidden to try to listen to what one’s neighbour says in his house as spies do, which would make him insecure with you being his neighbour and never trust you with what he says or does.
If you are not able to be good and kind with your neighbour or acknowledge his favour upon you, then do not harm him and keep your evil away from him. Let him relax in his home and visit him when he invites you. When he consults you, advise him. If he is oppressed, give him your help, support and defense. Yet if he is the oppressor, help him by stopping him from oppression. If he does well, hail and compliment him and if he does wrong, pardon him. If he corrupts, do not approve of his corruption and remember that on Judgement Day many will be grabbing their neighbours, each one saying: “O Lord! This is my neighbour who closed his door in my face and deprived me of his good advice while witnessing my evil.”
Once a man asked the Prophet ﷺ about a woman who made many prayers and fasted much. Yet she would hurt her neighbours. The Prophet ﷺ answered, ‘She is in the fire of Hell.” The man asked again about another woman who only fulfilled her obligations in terms of praying and fasting, yet she gave charity with big pieces of Aqit (yogurt or cheese) and never harmed her neighbors. The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘She is in Paradise.’”
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Four are happiness: a good wife, a spacious residence, a good neighbour and a comfortable vehicle. And four are misery: a bad neighbour, a bad wife, a bad vehicle and a small (stifling) residence.”
Almighty Allah likes the neighbour who is patient upon his neighbour’s harms until one day Allah will help him, either by moving him away from that neighbour or by that neighbour’s death. It is idiocy and stupidity for people to file complaints with the authorities against their neighbours for the bickering and quarrels that occur among women or children. The Prophet ﷺ also forbade building walls or raising the houses so high that such would cause harm for the neighbour and might block the wind from reaching the neighbour’s property or expose the neighbour’s privacy. The Prophet ﷺ used to say,
“O Allah, I seek refuge with you from the bad neighbour in a permanent residence, as the neighbour in the nomadic residence is always moving (i.e., he does not stay in one place).”
In another hadith the Prophet ﷺ said, “Beware of the prohibitions, then you are the best of worshippers. Be satisfied with which Allah has given you, then you are the richest of people. Be kind to your neighbour, then you are a believer. Love for the people what you love for yourself, then you are a Muslim. And do not laugh too much, for laughing too much kills the heart.”
Some people do not care about others if they themselves are comfortable. They would not mind if all the people were annoyed by them and angry with them. They would not mind even if their reputation was hurt so long as they satisfy their lusts and joys. Their lusts and desires are fulfilled and their needs are met, so it does not matter if all these were satisfied at the expense of their honour, dignity, or reputation. For that reason, these people are despised by others, hated by their neighbours and have a disgusting reputation among their peers. The Prophet ﷺ said, “If you feel no shame, then do whatever you wish.” He ﷺ also said, “Allah has divided your manners among you as he has divided your provisions. Verily Allah gives (the pleasures of this) life to whom He loves and whom He does not. Yet, He does not give the faith except to whom He loves. He who is given the faith, verily Allah has loved him. By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, a person does not become a Muslim until his heart and tongue submit and surrender (to Allah), and does not believe until his neighbour is safe from his evil.”
What more could be said on the importance of upholding a neighbour’s rights which is decreed by Allah in the Holy Quran: “Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship); and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, al-Masakin (the poor), the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves) whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allah does not like such as are proud and boastful.” (4:36)
Ibrahim Abdulaev, theologian
