Allah (swt) said: “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.” (Qur’an 4: 36). And the Prophet (saw) said: “Jibreel (as) continued to advise me to be good to my neighbour, until I thought that he was going to make him an inheritor (i.e., of a person’s estate).”

A neighbour who is also one’s relative has two rights: the right of relation and the right of neighbourliness. Meanwhile, the neighbour who is not a relative has one right: the right of good neighbourliness. Although neighbours differ in regards to the degree of rights they have, all of them should be honoured and treated well. Aishah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Jibreel (as) continued to advise me to be good to my neighbour, until I thought that he was going to make him an inheritor.” (Bukhari).

Honouring one’s neighbour involves various displays of kindness and friendliness – such as giving gifts, extending greetings of peace, meeting one’s neighbour with a smiling countenance, making sure one’s neighbour is doing well, helping him when he needs help, and so on; it is also involves refraining from harming him is any way. Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “The best of companions with Allah is he who is best to his companion, and the best neighbour with Allah is he who is best to his neighbour.” (Tirmidhi)

The term neighbour applies to both a Muslim and a disbeliever; to a pious worshipper and an evil doer; to a person who is far away from his native land and a person who has always been a dweller in the same city; to an a friend and an enemy; to a kindly neighbour and one who causes others harm; to a relative and a non-relative; and to one whose house is near as well as one whose house is slightly further away.

Neighbours vary in degree, some having more rights than others. In the pairings mentioned above, a neighbour who has the most qualities from the first of every pair deserves to be honoured most. And the neighbour who has the most qualities of the second of every pair least deserves to be honoured (as far as neighbours go). And other neighbours vary according to the combination of qualities they possess. 

The right of the next-door neighbour

One’s next-door neighbour has more rights than a neighbour who lives further off, such a person who lives two houses down or on the next floor of an apartment building as opposed to one who lives on the same floor. This ruling is taken from a hadith related by Aishah (ra), in which she asked the Messenger of Allah (saw): “O Messenger of Allah, I indeed have two female neighbours; to which of them should I give a gift?” He said: “To the one whose door is closest to your door.” (Bukhari).

It is said that the neighbour who lives closer has more rights because, in time of need, he is quicker to lend a helping hand. And it is almost instinctive among people to establish closer ties to a neighbour who lives next-door than to a neighbour who live, for instance, down the street.

One of the rights a person has over his neighbour is that his neighbour should not prevent him from driving wood into the wall they share, in order to build a room or something similar. Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Let no one from you prevent his neighbour from thrusting wood into his wall.” (Bukhari).

It is forbidden to harm one’s neighbour in any way, shape, or form.

There are many ways in which a person can harm his neighbour; but in no way is it permissible for him to do so. The importance of no harming one’s neighbour is indicated in the following hadith, for in it, the Prophet (saw) coupled Eeman (faith) in Allah and the Last Day with not harming one’s neighbour. Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “If one believes in Allah and the Last Day, then let him not harm his neighbour.” (Bukhari). And in another Hadith, Abu Shuraih (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) said: “By Allah, he does not believe; by Allah, he does not believe; by Allah, he does not believe.” It was said: “Who, O Messenger of Allah?” He (saw) said: “He whose neighbour is not safe from his wrongdoings.” (Bukhari).

The Prophet (saw) thrice negated the Eaman (faith) of a person whose neighbour is not safe from his evils; this does not mean that he is completely bereft of Eeman; rather, it means that, because of his wrongdoing, his Eaman is deficient and not complete.

 (Prepared by Abdul Muhaemin Karim)