Rights of Neighbors
Neighbor
is a word everyone is aware of it but this is not just a word but a relation
which has big importance. This relation has so much importance that Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ordered us to be good to our neighbors and beloved Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ
تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ
also emphasized the importance of this relation. This is a problem in a modern society that we are so
busy in our life we even don’t know our neighbors. Nowadays our relations are
not in a real world rather we are only connected on social media and this
connection is only a like button we push or an Emoji we send. Islam teaches us
the responsibilities regarding our neighbors. In one blessed saying beloved
Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ said: "Jibra'il
kept enjoining good treatment of neighbors until I thought he would make neighbors
heirs." My dear brothers what is our situation? We don’t care about our neighbors
and don’t think it something necessary. Let us read blessed Ayah and blessed
ahadees on this topic to understand it properly.
Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ says in the Holy Quran:
وَ اعْبُدُوا اللّٰهَ وَ
لَا تُشْرِكُوْا بِهٖ شَیْــٴًـا وَّ بِالْوَالِدَیْنِ اِحْسَانًا وَّ بِذِی
الْقُرْبٰى وَ الْیَتٰمٰى وَ الْمَسٰكِیْنِ وَ الْجَارِ ذِی الْقُرْبٰى وَ
الْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَ الصَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنْۢبِ وَ ابْنِ السَّبِیْلِۙ-وَ مَا
مَلَكَتْ اَیْمَانُكُمْؕ-اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یُحِبُّ مَنْ كَانَ مُخْتَالًا
فَخُوْرَاۙﰳ (۳۶)
Translation from
Kanz-ul-Iman: And worship Allah and associate none
with Him, and be good to parents, and to relatives, and to orphans, and to
needy, and to the near neighbour and to the distant neighbour, and to the close
companion and to the traveller; and to your male and female slaves; indeed
Allah does not like the arrogant, the boastful.
On this topic there are a
lot of ahadees here are few of them:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى
الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ
بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ وَمَنْ كَانَ
يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ جَارَهُ وَمَنْ كَانَ
يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ "
It
is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira رضی اللہ تعالی عنہ that
the Nabi of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ والہ وسلم
observed: He
who believes in Allah and the Last Day should either utter good words or better
keep silence; and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day should treat his neighbor
with kindness and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day should show
hospitality to his guest.
عَنْ أَبِي
هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: لاَ يَدْخُلُ
الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ لاَ يَأْمَنُ جَارُهُ بَوَائِقَهُ.
Abu
Huraira رضی اللہ تعالی عنہ reported
that the Nabi of Allah صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ, said, "A person whose neighbors are not safe from his
evil will not enter the Garden."
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ
بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ
قَالَ: خَيْرُ الأَصْحَابِ عِنْدَ اللهِ تَعَالَى خَيْرُهُمْ لِصَاحِبِهِ،
وَخَيْرُ الْجِيرَانِ عِنْدَ اللهِ تَعَالَى خَيْرُهُمْ لِجَارِهِ.
Abdullah
ibn 'Amribn al-'As رضی اللہ عنہما reported
that the Messenger of Allah صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ
وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, said, "The best of companions in the court of Allah
Almighty is the best of them towards his companion, and the best of neighbors
in the court of Allah is the best of them towards his neighbor."
عَنْ أَبِي
هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَقُولُ " يَا نِسَاءَ
الْمُسْلِمَاتِ لاَ تَحْقِرَنَّ جَارَةٌ لِجَارَتِهَا وَلَوْ فِرْسِنَ شَاةٍ
" .
Abu
Huraira رضی اللہ تعالی عنہ reported Allah's
Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ as saying: O Muslim women, none of you should consider even a
sheep's trotter too insignificant to give to her neighbor.
عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ
اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ
إِذَا طَبَخْتَ مَرَقَةً فَأَكْثِرْ مَاءَهَا وَتَعَاهَدْ جِيرَانَكَ "
.
Abu
Dharr رضی اللہ
تعالی عنہreported
Allah's Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ as saying:
Abu
Dharr, when you prepare the broth, add water to that and give that (as a
present) to your neighbor.
عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ
النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي
بِيَدِهِ لاَ يُؤْمِنُ عَبْدٌ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِجَارِهِ - أَوْ قَالَ لأَخِيهِ -
مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ
It
is narrated on the authority of Anas رضی اللہ تعالی عنہ that
the Prophet (May peace blessings be upon him) observed: By Him in whose
Hand is my life, no, bondsman (truly) believes till he likes for his neighbor, or
he (the Holy Prophet) said: for his brother, whatever he likes for himself.
The
Beloved Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ
وَسَلَّمَ has
said: Do you know what the right
of a neighbour is? He صَلَّی
اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ then himself said: When he asks you for help, help him and when
he asks for a loan give him a loan and when he is needy give him and when he is
ill visit him to enquire about his health and when he receives goodness
congratulate him and when he is in trouble help him and when he dies, attend
his funeral and do not make your building higher without his permission that
may disrupt air ventilation to his house and do not hurt him with your food but
give him something from it and if you buy dry fruit also present him some and
if you do not want to present him then bring it to your home secretly and your
children should not go out with it because it may grieve the children of your
neighbour. Do you know what the right of a neighbour is? By the One in Whose
power my life is! There are few who completely fulfil the rights of their
neighbours. They are those who have blessings
of Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. The Beloved Rasool صَلَّی
اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ constantly advised on neighbours to the extent that people
thought that he صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ
وَسَلَّمَ would
make their neighbour their heirs. He صَلَّی
اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ then said: There are three types of neighbours. Some have three
rights, some have two and some have one. The neighbour who is Muslim and your
relative has three rights: The right of neighbour, the right
of Islam and the right of relative. Muslim
neighbour has two rights: The right of neighbour and the right of Islam and the
neighbour [who is an unbeliever] has only one right, the right of neighbour.
(Shu’ab-ul-Iman, vol. 7, pp. 83-84, Hadees 9560)
The
Beloved Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ
وَسَلَّمَ has
said: Many neighbours will hold the coattails of their neighbours on the
Judgement Day. The oppressed neighbour will humbly say: Ya Rab عَزَّ
وَجَلَّ! Ask
him as he kept his door closed for me and prevented the things from me which
were more than his need.
(Kanz-ul-’Ummal, vol. 5, pp. 23, Juz: 9,
Hadees 24894)
A
person humbly said: O Beloved Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ
تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ! So and so woman is discussed due to the abundance of her
Salah, Sadaqah and Sawm, but she troubles her neighbours with her tongue. The
Beloved Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ
وَسَلَّمَ
said: She is a Hell-dweller. He again humbly asked: O Beloved Rasool صَلَّی
اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ! So and so woman is recognized due to the lack of Salah and
Sawm and giving the pieces of cheese in Sadaqah and does not trouble her
neighbours. The Beloved Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ
تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ replied: She is a heavenly person.
(Musnad Imam Ahmad,
vol. 3, pp. 441, Hadees 9681)
A person
said to the Beloved and Blessed Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ
تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ: O Beloved Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ
تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ! I am living in the neighbourhood at such and such tribe, but
amongst them, the one who troubles me more is the nearest neighbour of mine. So
the Beloved Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ
وَسَلَّمَ sent
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq, Sayyiduna Umar Farooq and Sayyiduna Ali-ul-Murtaza رَضِىَ
الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُم. Standing at the door of the Masjid they started making this
announcement loudly: Undoubtedly, 40 houses are included in the neighbourhood
and if someone’s neighbour is terrified due to his evil he will not enter
Paradise
(Al-Mu’jam-ul-Kabeer, vol. 19, pp. 73, Hadees 143)
It
is stated in another blessed Hadees: The one who hurts his neighbour undoubtedly
hurts me, and the one who hurts me, displeases Allah عَزَّ
وَجَلَّ. The
one who quarrels with his neighbour quarrels with me and the one who quarrels
with me undoubtedly quarrels with Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.
(Kanz-ul-‘Ummal, vol. 5, pp. 25, Juz: 9,
Hadees 24922)
After all these blessed ahadees let us read
few common rights of neighbours from Ihya ul uloom of Imam Ghazali علیہ الرحمہ:
Common
rights of neighbours
Writing
about the rights of neighbours Imam Muhammad Ghazali رَحْمَةُ
اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has said:
§ One
should lead in saying Salam to his neighbours.
§ Should
not have long conversation with them.
§ Should
not ask too many questions about his circumstances.
§ Should
inquire after their health when they are ill.
§ Should
help them when they are in difficulty.
§ Should
congratulate them in their happy moments.
§ Should
participate in their joyful occasions.
§ Should
forgive their mistakes.
§ Should
not peep into their home from the top of his roof.
§ Should
not trouble them by putting a roof beam on their wall or by draining water into
their roof drain or by putting dust etc., into their courtyard.
§ Should
not narrow the pathway to their home.
§ Should
not fix his gaze on whatever they carry to their home.
§ If
he becomes aware of their faults, he should hide them.
§ Should
immediately help them if they meet with an accident.
§ Should
not show negligence in safeguarding the house of neighbours in their absence.
§ Should
not listen to anything against them.
§ Should
lower his gaze before their women.
§ Should
speak softly to their children.
If they need guidance in the worldly or religious
matters, he should guide them accordingly
(Ihya-ul-‘Uloom, vol. 2, pp. 772)
May Allah عَزَّ
وَجَلَّ enable us to fulfill
the rights of neighbors! Ameen
