One of the striking hadiths that has always lent credence to the Prophet’s love for one another and taught Muslims  great lesson on how you relate to your neighbour and ensure peaceful co-existence  is that saying: “That man is not from me who sleeps contentedly while his neighbour goes to bed  hungry.”

Love, kindness and humility are the folcrum of the teaching of that hadiths. Drawing inference from the Quran, Islam generally enjoines kind treatment of neighbours more than it can been seen in any other religion. “Worship Allah and join none with Him in worship, and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, 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.” (Q 4:36).  I wonder if every Muslim adhere to this teachings, no matter how difficult the unbeliever, the world would have been a better place.

Person’s goodness or badness

The lesson is that you must endeavour to make your  neighbour happy as much as you are happy. Let your neighbour eat when you’re not hungry, let your neighbour laugh when you are happy.  It is a sin to do any thing detrimental to the peace of your neighbour. Abu Shurayh (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (s.a.w) said: “By Allah, he does not believe, by Allah, he does not believe, by Allah, he does not believe.” He was asked, “Who, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “The one from whose arm his neighbour is not safe.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, see Fath al-Baari, 10/443)

The Prophet (s.a.w) regarded the praise or criticism of a neighbour as a measure of a person’s goodness or badness. Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that a man said to the Prophet (s.a.w): “O Messenger of Allah, how may I know if I am doing well or not?” The Prophet (s.a.w) said: “If you hear your neighbour say that you are good, then you are doing well, and if you hear him saying that you are bad, you are not doing well.” (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 1/402, see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 623). This means you must do everything possible within your capacity to  ensure healthy relationship.

Harming a neighbour may take many forms, including: infringing on his rights; deprive him of his interest, taking his things without his permission; invading on his privacy;  disturbing him with loud sounds of music or noise, especially when he is asleep or resting; or throwing trash in front of his door. The sin of such deeds is increased when they are done to a neighbour, as the Prophet (s.a.w) said: “If a man were to commit adultery with ten women, it would be better for him than committing adultery with the wife of his neighbour, and if a man were to steal from ten houses, it would be better for him than stealing from the house of his neighbour.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari in al-Adab al-Mufrad, no. 103; see also al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 65).

Some treacherous people take advantage of a neighbour’s absence to enter his house and commit immoral acts. Woe to them of the punishment of a painful Day!

Islam has great respect for the mutual rights and duties of neighbours.  The rights of neighbourhood are not meant for Muslim neighbours only. Of course, a Muslim neighbour has one more claim upon us – that of Islamic brotherhood; but so far as the rights of neighbour are concerned, all are equal.

Explaining it, the Holy Prophet said: Neighbours are of three kinds: (1) that one who has got one right upon you; (2) that one who has got two rights upon you; (3) that one who has got three rights upon you.

The neighbour having three rights upon you is the one who is also a Muslim and a relative. The neighbour having two rights is the one who is either a non-Muslim or a non-relative Muslim.

The neighbour having one right is the one who is neither a Muslim nor a relative. Still he has got all the claims of neighbourhood-rights upon you. A good Muslims will protect his neighbour’s interests when he is absent; show him respect when he is present; help him when he is inflicted with any injustice.

As a Muslim, you are not expected to be suspicious of his moves or finding his faults; and if, by any chance, you happen to know any undesirable thing about him, hide it from others; and, at the same time, try to stop him from improper habits, if there is any chance that he will listen to you. Never leave him alone at any calamity. Forgive him, if he has done any wrong. In short, live with him a noble life, based on the highest Islamic ethical code. This is the lesson the Holy Prophet Muhammad has taught us as Muslims.  If we all do all these to our neighbours, our community, our environment, our society, and the world would be a better place for us all. Ponder over it and endeavour to do just that. Jumuah Mubarak!