Have you ever asked yourself this question? Do you love them and treat them like family? If you don't, we think you should read this.
Allaah says in the Qur'aan,
"Worship Allaah and do not commit shirk (associate any partner) with Him, and be good to your parents, kinfolks, orphans, the helpless, near and far neighbours who keep company with you, the travellers in need, and the slaves you own. Allaah does not love those who are arrogant and boastful ..." (Q4: 36)
Do not cause him harm
Harming a neighbour is forbidden because of the greatness of his rights. Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA):
"The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
"Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day should not hurt (trouble) his neighbour. (Bukhari).
Abu Shurayh (RA) also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"By Allaah, he does not gelieve! By Allaah, he does not believe! By Allaah, he does not believe!" It was said, "Who is that, 0 Allaah's Messenger?" He said, "That person whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil." (Bukhari)
Harm is of various types
Harming a neighbour may take many forms and they include; not allowing him to fix a piece of wood to a shared wall or fence; expanding your house in such a way as to deprive him of sun or air without his permission; opening windows overlooking his house and looking out of them to invade his privacy; disturbing him with loud sounds such as hammering or shouting or even music (!), especially when he is asleep or resting; or throwing thrash in front of his door.
Abu Hurairah said, "Allaah's Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
'No one should prevent his neighbour from fixing a wooden peg in his wall." (Bukhari)
Harm to a neighbour is a crime
The weight of evil deeds are heavier when they are done to a neighbour, as the Prophet· (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
'lf 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." (Adab al-Mufrad) .
What will he say about you?
The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) regarded the praise or criticism of a neighbour as a measure of a person's goodness or otherwise respectively. Abdullah bin Mas'ud (RA) reported that a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "O Messenger of Allaah, how may I know if I am doing well or not?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied:
"If you hear you 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. "(Ahmad)
So be good to your neighbour
So next time you leave your homes, how about taking along with you a basket of assorted fruits, stopping at the house next door, and keep alive the bond of neighbourliness?
Narrated Aisha (RA): "I said, "O Allaah's Messenger! I have two neighbors and would like to know to which of them I should give presents." He replied,
"To the one whose door is nearer to you." (Bukhari)
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited