Rights of Neighbors

February 22,2018 - Published 6 years ago

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 Al 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.

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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 Muhammad) 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

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