CHAPTER TWO: NEIGHBOURS – PART 2
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, negated Faith from the person whose neighbor is not safeguarded from his evil:
Abu Shurayh (a Companion) narrated that the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “By Allah he is not a [true] believer, by Allah he is not a [true] believer, by Allah he is not a [true] believer.” People asked: “Who is that, O Messenger of Allah.” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, replied: “The one whose neighbor is not safe from his evil.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari (6016) and Ahmad (7818).)
Ibn Hajar said: “This narration is a clear sign of the right of the neighbor, for the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, swore on this matter three times. It also negates faith from a person who harms his neighbor by his speech, or actions; meaning that he does not have perfect faith, for it is known that a sinner has not completed faith [..] the narration negates the perfection of faith from the one who harms his neighbor as a way of reflecting the great right of the neighbor and it proves that harming him is one of the grave major sins.” (Fat-h Al-Baari (442/10).)
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, even said that he would be forbidden from Paradise:
Abu Hurayrah (a Companion) narrated that the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “He will not enter Paradise, a person whose neighbor is not safe from his harm.” (Reported by Muslim (46).)
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, showed that harming the neighbor is worse than harming anyone else:
Al-Miqdaad ibn Al-Aswad (a Companion) narrated that the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to his Companions: “What do you say regarding adultery?” They said: “Allah and His Messenger have forbidden it, so it is forbidden until the Day of Judgment.” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “To commit adultery with ten women is less of a sin than to commit adultery with the wife of his neighbor.”
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, then said: “What do you say regarding stealing?” They said: “Allah and His Messenger have forbidden it, so it is forbidden.” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “To steal from ten houses is less of a sin than to steal from his neighbor.” (Reported by Ahmad (23342).)
Al-Manaawi (a scholar) said: “This is because the right of a neighbor is that he does not betray him regarding his wife. If he does so, then his punishment for that one act of adultery is more severe than ten other times with another woman.” (Faydh Al-Qadeer (3229/5).)
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, made harming the neighbor a cause of incurring the curse of Allah and the people:
Abu Hurayrah narrated that a man came to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to complain about his neighbor, so the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would tell him: “Go and be patient.” This happened two or three times. The last time, the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, told him: “Go and put all of your possessions in the street,” and the man did so. When the people passed by him and asked why everything was in the street, he would tell them. The people started cursing his neighbor, saying: “May Allah do such and such to him (punish him)!” His neighbor came to the man apologizing, and said: “Return everything and you will never see anything you dislike from me after today.” (Reported by Abu Dawood (5153).)
In another narration, the neighbor came to the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, saying: “O Messenger of Allah, what a thing I am facing from the people!” The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “What are they doing?” He said: “They are cursing me.” The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Allah has cursed you before the people did.” The man said: “I will never go back (to my old ways.)” The man who complained about his neighbor came to the Prophet of Allah, so
he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, told him: “Put your things back in your home, for you have been sufficed.” (Reported by At-Tabarani (356) on the authority of Abu Hudhayfah.)
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, showed that performing many acts of worship does not benefit one who harms his neighbor:
Abu Hurayrah narrated that a man said: “O Messenger of Allah, there is a woman who is known for praying, fasting and giving a great deal of charity, but she harms her neighbors with her speech.” The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “She is in the Fire.”
The man then said: “O Messenger of Allah, there is a woman who is known for very little fasting, charity, and prayer, and gives charity with only small pieces of dried milk, but she does not harm her neighbors with her speech.” The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “She is in Paradise.” (Reported by Ahmad (9298).)
The order to be good to one’s neighbor includes both Muslims and non-Muslims:
Mujaahid (a Follower belonging to the generation succeeding the Companions) narrated that ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr (a Companion) came home and found a sheep was slaughtered by his family. He asked them, “Did you give any to our Jewish neighbor? Did you give any to our Jewish neighbor? For I heard the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, say: “[Angel] Gabriel continued to advise me to take good care of neighbors, until I thought he would make them to be one of the inheritors.”” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi (1943).)
Ibn Hajar said:
“The word ‘neighbor’ includes both a Muslim and a disbeliever, a righteous or sinful person, a friend or enemy, a stranger or resident, a beneficial or harmful person, a relative or not, and those who are close to one’s home and those who live farther.
A neighbor has different levels (in terms of his rights), the highest being one who has all of the first characteristics (i.e. Muslim, righteous, friendand lower than that is one who has just some of them.
The lowest level is a neighbor who has all of the second characteristics (i.e. disbeliever, sinner, enemy). Every person has rights according to these levels, and some of these characteristics may conflict, so it must be judged which characteristic outweighs another.” (Fat-h Al-Baari (442/10).)
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, considered a good neighbor as part of a person’s happiness:
Naafi’ ibn ‘Abdul-Waarith (a Companion) said that Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “From the happiness of a person is having a good neighbor, an easy riding animal and a spacious house.” (Reported by Ahmad (14947).)
Sa’d ibn Abu Waqqaas (a Companion) narrated that the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Four things are from the happiness of a man: a righteous wife, a spacious house, a righteous neighbor, and an easy ride [comfortable]. And four things are from the misery of a man: a bad neighbor, a bad wife, a cramped house, and a difficult ride.” (Reported by Ibn Hibbaan (4032).)
Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, sought Allah’s refuge from a bad neighbor, for he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to say in his supplication: “O Allah, I seek refuge with you from a bad neighbor in a place of permanent residence, for a neighbor in the nomadic areas [i.e. a Bedouin] will move away.” (Reported by Al-Haakim (1951).)
The Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ordered his Companions to do so, saying: “Seek refuge with Allah from a bad neighbor in a place of permanent residence, for a neighbor in the nomadic area will move away.” (Reported by Ibn An-Nasa’i (5502).)
The best of neighbors are those who are best to their neighbor:
‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr narrated that the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “The best of companions are those who treat their companions in the best way, and the best of neighbors are those who treat their neighbors in the best way.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi (1867).)
Al-Ghazaali (a scholar) said: “The right of the neighbor is not merely to not harm him, rather it is to endure any harm from him. Nor is it enough to merely endure his harm, rather one must respond to him in a gentle way, to greet him first, visit him if he becomes sick, to console him in a calamity, congratulate him in a good time, to share in his happiness if he is bestowed with something, to overlook his faults, to not look at his women, to protect his home if he is absent, to be kind to his children, and to guide him of what he is ignorant, both in religious and worldly affairs.” (Ihyaa’ ‘Uloom Ad-Deen (213/3).)
The closer his door is to yours, the greater his right:
‘Aa’ishah narrated that she asked the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, “I have two neighbors, so which one of them should I give gifts to?” He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “To the one whose door is closer to yours.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari (2259).)
By Muhammad Saalih Al-Munajjid
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