Neighbours, they are like our brothers or sister, don’t you have the neighbors? They also find in our residential neighborhood. Besides, behind, in front of our house, there are neighbors. So, what’s the meaning of neighbor in Islam? In the view of Islam, neighbors have an important role and meaning in the life of a Muslim. Islam teaches neighboring rights over the other neighbors. In hadith, Rasulullah SAW also reminds his people to do good with their neighbors. The Prophet Muhammad SAW said that:“Gabriel constantly has a will to me to do good to neighbors until I thought he would pass it on.” (Hadith by Bukhari and Muslim )
The importance and biggest of the neighbor’s position for the Muslim, Allah also command to his people to do good to the neighbors, in Surah An-Nisa Allah said: “And serve Allah. Ascribe no thing as partner unto Him. (Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and unto the neighbor who is of kin (unto you) and the neighbor who is not of kin, and the fellow-traveler and the wayfarer and (the slaves) whom your right hands possess. Lo! Allah loveth not such as are proud and boastful, ” (Verse 4:36)
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What’re the Right Neighbors in Islam?
According to the Prophet of Muhammad SAW, there are three neighborly rights in Islam; neighbors who have 3 rights, second; a neighbor who has two rights, and a neighbor who has at least a right (non-Muslim). The neighbor who has 3 rights they have a relationship with a family, Muslim, and neighbor. The neighbor who has 2 rights they are Muslim and they have right neighbors. And the last, the neighbor who has at least right they are non-Muslim but they still have the right of neighbor. In the Qur’an Allah has explained at above (Verse 4:36)
Below here are the information the rights of the neighbors in Islam.
1. Exchanging Greetings
The exchanging greetings between Muslims is also an obligation. Therefore we should reply who is saying greeting to us. Make it sure we also reply it with completely.Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Messenger of Allah SWT said, “ By Him in Whose Hand my soul is! You will not enter Jannah until you believe, and you shall not believe until you love one another. May I inform you of something, if you do, you love each other? Promote greeting amongst you (by saying As-salaamu ‘alaykum to one another).” (Muslim)
2. Helping the Neighbors
“O ye who believe! Profane not Allah’s monuments nor the Sacred Month nor the offerings nor the garlands, nor those repairing to the Sacred House, seeking the grace and pleasure of their Lord. But when ye have left the sacred territory, then go hunting (if ye will). And let not your hatred of a folk who (once) stopped your going to the inviolable place of worship seduce you to transgress, but help ye one another unto righteousness and pious duty. Help not one another unto sin and transgression, but keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is severe in punishment.” (Verse 5:2)
3. Politeness
In the neighbors, we should behave politely in attitude and speech. Please, behave it good to our neighbors to create the friendship. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Messenger of Allah SWT said. “Be a person who is wara’ (observant of religious obligations), you will bring a religious expert. Be the person who is qana’ah, then you will be a thankful person. Give the best to the other people, like you give the best for yourself, therefore you will be true of Muslims. Being good, and you will be true of Muslims…”
(HR.Ibn Majah)
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4. Kind Treatment
Ibn ‘Umar and A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Jibril (Gabriel, the angel) kept recommending treating neighbors with kindness until I thought he would assign a share of the inheritance.” (Al – Bukhari, and Muslim)In other hadith, Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) commanded me thus, “ Oabu Dharr! Whenever you prepare a broth, put plenty of water in it and give some of it to your neighbors.”
(Muslim)
5. Sharing Food
This is hadith that we should be sharing food with our neighbors. The first hadith is from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “ O Muslim women, never belittle any gift you give your neighbor even if it is a hoof of a sheep.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
7. Visiting
When our neighbors getting ill or die, we as Muslims should be visiting them. Allah told us in this hadith that
Abu Hurairah reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “…… visit him when he is ill and join the funeral procession when he dies.”
8. Not Causing Harm
Abu Hurairah reported from The Prophet said “ By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not the believer! By Allah, he is not the believer.” It was asked, “Who is that, O Messenger of Allah ?” He said, “ One whose neighbor does not feel safe from his evil.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
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9. Forbearance
Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari narrated that the Messenger of Allah said, “Almighty Allah likes three; a man who had the neighbor who would cause harm to him. Yet, he endures his harm until Allah protects him from that neighbor by life or death (i.e. by any means).” (Al-Hakim)
10. Never Hurts the Neighbors
Abu Hurairah said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked, “O, Messenger of Allah! A certain woman prays in the night, fasts in the day acts and gives charity, but injures her neighbors with her tongue.”The Messenger of Allah SAW said, “There’s no good in her. She’s one of the people of the Fire”.
11. Give a Presents to The Neighbors
It is from ‘Aisyah Radhi Allahu ’Anha, she asked The Prophet Muhammad SAW, “O, The Messenger of Allah, I have two closest neighbors. Where should I give the presents ?” and then he replied. “ To the closest door that which near with yours.” (HR. Bukhari)
12. Forbidden to Disparaging the Neighbour’s gift
It is from Abu Hurairah that The Prophet said, “Oh, The Muslim women, don’t you disparage one another of neighbors, while it just foots of an animal at least no meat.”(HR Bukhari & Muslim)
13. Being a Witness
From Ibnu Mas’ud reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “How should I know, Am I good or bad ? ” and then The Messenger of Allah said, “If your neighbor said that you are a good human so that you are a good human. While if your neighbor said you are not good human so that you are not good.” (HR.Ahmad)
14. Helping the Poor’s Neighbors with Zakat
In neighbors, we also find the variety of economic-social status. While we find about this, expect who people have a good in economic should help the lowest economic status. The rich neighbor should have to do an obligation of zakat, and he must give it to the other neighbor who has the low-economic status. The Prophet Muhammad said.“Give a religious meal is not legal for the rich people, at least in the way of Allah or Ibn Sabil or to the poor’s neighbors..” (HR Abu Dawud dan Ibnu Majah)
15. Feel Happy when our Neighbor success
The health of competition in Islam very recommends. The real competitions should not be leaving the hostility. If we left behind the competition, we should be giving congrats to the who is the winner. With saying “congratulation”, the victory could be enjoyed and felt together.
16. Giving Advise
When people be of trouble and worry, definitely he will need some advice to solve his problems. We as the closest neighbor, as good as the neighbor should giving advise one another’s. In Hadith, Imam Al-Ghazali said that ” Allah created human with the unique characteristics, while he in trouble he will be worried and while he is happy he forgets Him Who the gives happiness.”
The Right of Non-Muslim Neighbors
Our Prophet Muhammad SAW who has the right of attitude, he is the greatness of mirrors. In his society lives with his neighbors, he always primary the attitude. In the previous history, when Aisyah who is the wife of the Messenger of Allah, she has celebrated the ritual meal (kenduri) with slaughtering a sheep. While the meat is already cooked, the meal also shared with the other closest neighbors.
“My wife, Has you send through the meal to Fulan? “ asked Rasulullah SAW ( to make it sure).
“Nope, he is Jewish and I don’t give the meal.” she’s answering clearly.
Well, what’s our Prophet SAW reaction? He constantly to require Aisyah to sending the meals.“Give it! Although he is Jewish, he is still our neighbors,” said Rasulullah SAW.
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There’s a message from the history above that the neighbors who they are non-Muslims, we must respect them as the other’s neighbor. Don’t any differences the neighbor just because of the status, their background, the ethnics, religions, etc; because our Prophet has told us to forbidden that we should not to do that. The neighbors of non-Muslim still have the rights of the neighbors, its just only neighbors.
After we knowing about the information about the rights of neighbors whether in Muslim an non- Muslim. Therefore in below, this is the information about the forbidden thing that we should not do to our neighbor whether in Muslims an non- Muslims.
The Thing that Forbidden to Do with The Neighbors
- Not Exchanging Greetings
- Do not behave politely
- Hurts the neighbors
- Gossip
- Jealous of neighbors
- Hate each other
- Wrecking the neighbor’s garden
- Turning on the music loudly
- Disturb the neighbors
- Disturb their household
- Make difficult the neighbor’s needed
- Let the neighbor’s problem
- Show off our lifestyle
- Let the neighbor’s hungry
- Differences the social status between the neighbor
Do your best to your neighbors, help them and be kind. Make the rights and obligation of neighbors in the view of Islam to be learning in everyday life. If we carry out the advice given, then we will get a reward. In addition, if we have neighboring non-Muslims, still respect them only as neighbors, as has been taught by the Messenger of Allah to us. Do not mistake your neighbors once, be hostile or harmful to them. If we hurt our neighbor the threat is hell, as described above. Hopefully, all this information can be a science for us as Muslims.
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