Rights of neighbours in Islam:
Neighbors are the ones who are always there at good and bad times. We invite each other on special occasions like birthdays, anni
The least of a neighbour's rights on him is that if he asks him for a loan hw should grant it to him. If he asks for help should help him. If he wants to borrow something from him, he should lend it to him. If he needs him to donate something to him, he should do so.
Islam places great importance on maintaining good relations with neighbours and protecting their rights. The Qur’an instructs believers to show kindness to those living nearby and far away, emphasizing respect, care, and social harmony. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ repeatedly stressed the rights of neighbours, to the extent that he said he thought neighbours might even be given a share in inheritance (paraphrased).
Key rights of neighbours in Islam include treating them with kindness and respect, avoiding harm through words or actions, sharing help in times of need, and being considerate of their privacy and comfort. A Muslim is encouraged to greet neighbours, exchange gifts, assist them during difficulties, and overlook minor faults. Causing inconvenience, spreading noise, or behaving arrogantly toward neighbours is strongly discouraged.
Islam teaches that faith is closely connected to how a person treats their neighbours. By fulfilling the rights of neighbours, Muslims help build peaceful communities, strengthen social bonds, and live according to the moral teachings of Islam.
A neighbor is a person who lives nearby, normally in a house or apartment that is next door or , in the case of houses, across the street. Some people from friendships with their neighbours, and help them by sharing their tools ana helping with gardening tasks.
Types of neighbours:
Close neighbors:
Examples of close neighbors included people who shared a party wall without a garden
Distant neighbors:
" Their fields March off upon the horizon.
Friendly neighbors:
Friendly neighbors are th people that are easy to get to know.
In Islam, neighbors are given great importance, and classical Islamic teachings mention three main types of neighbors, each with specific rights. This classification is commonly attributed to explanations by scholars based on Qur’an and Hadith.
1. A Neighbor who is also a Relative and a Muslim
This neighbor has three rights:
The right of kinship (family ties)
The right of Islam (brotherhood/sisterhood)
The right of neighborliness
This is the highest level of neighbor in terms of rights.
2. A Neighbor who is a Muslim but not a Relative
This neighbor has two rights:
The right of Islam
The right of neighborliness
3. A Neighbor who is not a Muslim and not a Relative
This neighbor still has one right:
The right of neighborliness
Islam teaches kindness, respect, and good behavior toward all neighbors, regardless of religion.
Why are neighbors important:
Neighborhood cohesiveness is a really important social glue; it keeps us connected and supports our well-being in everyday life and during a crisis.
Neighbors are important in Islam because they are the people closest to us in daily life, and Islam places great value on building a caring, peaceful community. Here are the main reasons why neighbors are important:
1. Commanded by Allah
Allah instructs believers to treat neighbors kindly:
“Worship Allah… and do good to parents, relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor and the distant neighbor…”
(Qur’an 4:36)
This shows that kindness to neighbors is an act of worship.
2. Strong Emphasis in Hadith
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that Angel Jibreel kept advising him about neighbors until he thought they would be given inheritance rights.
This highlights how serious and important neighborly rights are in Islam.
3. They Affect Daily Life
Neighbors:
Share space and surroundings with us
Can help in times of need or emergency
Contribute to safety, comfort, and peace in the community
Good neighbors make life easier; bad treatment creates stress and conflict.
4. Building a Peaceful Society
When neighbors care for one another:
Trust grows
Conflicts decrease
Communities become safer and more united
Islam promotes strong neighbor relations to strengthen the whole society.
5. A Test of Character and Faith
The Prophet ﷺ taught that:
Harming neighbors is a sign of weak faith
Good treatment of neighbors is part of good manners (akhlaq)
How a person treats their neighbors reflects their true character.
6. Reward from Allah
Helping neighbors, sharing food, being patient, and avoiding harm are all deeds that earn reward from Allah.
Role of a neighbour:
Neighbors who live near each other can provide help like watching children, caring for plants, or keeping an eye on homes when travelling.
In Islam (and in general society), neighbors play an important role in personal life and community well-being. Their role is not just social, but also moral and supportive.
1. Support and Help
Neighbors are often the first people available in times of need, such as:
Emergencies
Illness
Family difficulties
Islam encourages helping neighbors before others.
2. Creating a Safe Environment
Good neighbors:
Look out for one another
Help maintain peace and safety
Protect each other’s property and dignity
A caring neighborhood reduces fear and harm.
3. Promoting Peace and Harmony
Neighbors play a key role in:
Preventing conflicts
Showing patience and forgiveness
Resolving small issues kindly
Islam strongly forbids harming neighbors in any way.
4. Emotional and Social Support
Neighbors:
Reduce loneliness
Share happiness and sadness
Build a sense of belonging
Even simple greetings strengthen bonds.
5. Moral Responsibility
In Islam, neighbors:
Advise kindly when needed
Encourage good behavior
Avoid spying, gossip, or disrespect
This helps maintain moral values in the community.
6. Strengthening the Community
When neighbors cooperate:
Communities become stronger
Children grow up in healthier environments
Society becomes more caring and united
Golden rule for neighbors:
This can also be seen in Leviticus:
" You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord". God wants us to be kind, compassionate and forgiving to others as he is always kind and compassionate toward us even in our sin.
Ways to be a good neighbor:
- Take your garbage and recycling out. Yes- it is time to take that throw out that rotting gingerbread house that has been on display in your apartment for far too long.
- Clean up your yard.
- Be safe in your house.
- Shovel your driveway.
- Park where you should park.
What makes good neighbors:
Good neighbors are considerate, tolerant and understanding of others and their different lifestyles, and they help build successful communities. Despite this, there are different behaviors that can cause problems for neighbors and some are more serious than others.
How are neighbors useful to us:
Helpful neighbors are always there to lend a hand. They are considerate of others and offer their services to help those in need.
Neighbors can be useful to us in many simple and important ways, especially in daily life:
Help in emergencies: Neighbors can help during emergencies like illness, accidents, or natural disasters.
Sharing and caring: They may share things like food, tools, or notes for school when needed.
Safety and security: Neighbors watch out for each other’s homes and help keep the area safe.
Support and friendship: They provide companionship, kindness, and emotional support.
Community cooperation: Neighbors work together to keep the neighborhood clean and peaceful.
Helping families: They can look after children or elderly people when help is needed.
What is love your neighbor as yourself:
Loving your neighbor as yourself means being genuinely concerned for their well being, showing compassion, and being willing to serve them in times of need. It's about putting others before yourself, even when it's inconvenient, and treating them with the same respect and dignity that you would want for yourself.
Good neighbors in Islam:
In Islam, being a good neighbor is very important and is considered part of strong faith. Islam teaches Muslims to treat neighbors with kindness, respect, and care—no matter their religion or background.
Teachings about good neighbors in Islam:
Kindness and respect: Islam teaches Muslims to be kind, polite, and gentle with their neighbors.
Helping in need:
Helping neighbors during illness, difficulty, or emergencies is encouraged.
Not causing harm: A Muslim should never hurt, disturb, or trouble their neighbors.
Sharing and caring:
Sharing food and resources with neighbors is seen as a good deed.
Rights of neighbors:
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ emphasized neighbors’ rights so much that he thought they might even receive inheritance rights.
Good character:
Being patient, forgiving, and friendly with neighbors shows good Islamic character.
A famous saying (Hadith):
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that a person is not a true believer if their neighbor is not safe from their harm.
Rights of neighbours in Islam:
The rights of neighbors in Islam include the following:
- To greet him/ her when you meet him/ her.
- To ask about him/ her.
- To visit him/ her when they are sick.
- To console him/ her when he/she is afflicted with calamity.
- To condole him/ her when any of his/ her relatives passes away.
- To congratulate him/ her on happy occasion.
- To share him/ her joys and pains.
- To forgive him/ her when he/ she does wrong to you.
- To keep away from infringing on his/ her privacy.
- To lower your gaze from his/ her female household.
- Not to bother him/ her in anyway; for example by putting dirty stuff in front of his / her home.
First of all, you should know that Islam lays know that lays much emphasis on keeping good relations with neighbors, as it warns against severing ties of kinship.
Islam teaches Muslims to take themselves as brothers and sisters in faith; the Quran Kareem states:
" The believers are but a single brotherhood".
And the Prophet Muhammad SAW stressed the rights is neighbor in many is his sayings; among them are the following.
1. Hazrat Abu Huraira ( may Allah be pleased with him) quotes the Prophet Muhammad SAW as saying:
" Whoever believes in Allah SWT and the day of judgement should either speak good words or keep silent; whoever believes in Allah SWT And the day of judgement should treat his neighbor with kindness; and whoever believes in Allah SWT and the day of judgement should show hospitality to his guest".
2. Hazrat Aisha RA quoted the Prophet Muhammad SAW as saying:
Hazrat Jibrael impressed upon me kind treatment towards the neighbors so much that I thought he would confer upon him the right of inheritance "?.
3. Hazrat Abu Huraira quoted the Prophet Muhammad SAW as saying:
"He will not enter paradise, a person who neighbor is not secure from his ill conduct?"
Serving ties of neighborhood and showing ill conduct to them us highly condemned in Islam. It is reported that a man came to ibn Masud ( may Allah be pleased with him) and said: " I have a neighbor that hurts me, call me names, and brothers me so much". Thereupon ibn Masud said to him: " Go back and observe Allah's duty in him as he did observe it"
And once the Prophet Muhammad SAW was informed about a woman who used to fast the day time and pray at night, yet she used to show ill conduct to her neighbors. The Prophet Muhammad SAW remarked: " She will enter the hell fire.
Among the duties you owe your neighbor are:
- To greet him when you meet him.
- To ask about him
- To visit him when they are sick.
- To console him when he/she is afflicted with calamity.
- To condole him/ her when any of his / her relatives passes away.
- To congratulate him/ her on happy occasions.
- To share him/ her joys and pains.
- To forgive him/ her when he/ she does wrong to you.
- To keep away from infringing on his/ her privacy.
- To guide him/ her to what he/ she is ignorant.
- To lower your gaze from his/ her female household.
- Not to bother him/ her in any way; for example by putting dirty stuff in front of his/ her home.
Thus, we advise you, dear sister in Islam good relations with your neighbors and friends. Don't think it right to live alone; you will meet a time when you feel in a bad need of those who could help you, and at that time the neighbor will be the first to rush for your help.
Don't incur on you the punishment of severing ties of neighborhood as clear in the Hadiths mentioned above.
Neighborhood is also next to godliness. Try to start a new leaf and build good relations and strong contact with your neighbors and friends.
By so doing, Muslims will become stronger and united and thus be able to confront difficulties and calamities.
What rights do your neighbors have?
- If requests for assistance, you must assist her.
- If she comes to you for help, give it to her.
- If they need money, lend it to them.
- Without their permission, do not obstruct their air by erecting your building too high.
- Do not bother them.
- When you buy fruits, give them a share; if you don't , bring what you buy quietly and don't let your children Carry them out to arouse their children's jealousy.
- When they are sick, you must pay them a visit.
- When they pass away, you must attend their funeral ( and take part in burial arrangements).
- If they commit a sin, don't let it be known.
- If they have excellence fortune, congratulate them.
- If they suffer misfortune, supper them.
A good rule of thumb is your neighbors are eight houses to the left and right of your home. If you have houses across the streets, those are included as well.
How can you start?
With COVID-19 in the air, as well as the concept of commission not being marketed as much, it may be difficult, even intimidating to start building a relationship with your neighbors. Here's a few things you can do to break the ice!
1. Make it a family project:
Don't attempt connecting with multiple homes all by yourself. Get your family involved, so that the work is divided and there is support. Most importantly, the children in your home will understand the importance of connecting and caring for their their neighbors.
2. Buy fruits, desserts or a dish and share it:
Everyone loves food! Use food to kickstart the connection. Food creates trust and a friendly approve. If your neighbors are reserved, this will help them not to get alarmed by you.
3. Exchange numbers, so in case of any need they can contact you:
When you introduce yourself to them, give them your number and be open that in case of any need you are a text or call away. Whether it is securing a package or letting the children play or even a quick ingredient exchange - they can contact you.
4. Using psychology: Ask for a very small doable favour:
According to psychologists, people feel more warm and friendly when they know they can help you. Make sure you ask for a very small and non- time consuming favour. They will become aware that you trust them enough to ask!
5. Say Assalam o alaikum, whenever you see them around:
Say Assalam o alaikum when you see them on the streets in your local convenience store. People are social beings. Use this to your advantage! If you see them out and they don't seem to be doing well, use this opportunity to ask if they need help.
6. Simple knock on their house and introduce yourself:
There is no better way to start the connection other than by just doing it! Take the leap and be the one to initiate it! Find a suitable time to greet them. Avoid early mornings and evenings. Afternoon or early evening is usually the time when people are home are not resting.
Rights neighbors on you:
Islam puts a deep emphasis on our individual duty to our neighbors. In fact, the Prophet Muhammad SAW said: " Hazrat Jibrael advised me continuously to take care of the neighbor till though that Allah SWT is to make him an interior".
Being a good neighbor and realizing the duty to our neighbors does not just mean being friendly to the hoke owners next door. It means to help take care of the community as a whole- ana that includes the poor. Many Muslims know the importance of respecting and caring for our parents and other family members, but too many fail to fulfill their duty to our neighbors and the deprived in the community. Allah SWT says in the Quran Kareem:
" Serve God, and join any partners with him; and do good- to parents, kinfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are neighbors who are strangers, and the companion by your side, the way farer and what your right hands possess: for God loveth not the vainglorious."
Before we can sincerely help the needy, fight poverty and strengthen our bonds in the Muslim community we have to first understand our duty to our neighbors.
Duty to our neighbors:
Our duty to our neighbors include . meeting the following:
- You must help him if he asks for your help.
- Give him relief if he seeks your relief.
- Lend him if he needs a loan.
- Do not block his air by raising your building high without his permission.
- Do not harass him.
- Give him a share when you buy fruits; if you do not, bring what you buy quietly and let not your children take them out to excite the jealousy of his children.
- You must visit( and take care of) him when he is ill.
- You must attend his funeral when he dies ( and take part in burial arrangements).
- If he commits a sin, if he is met with good future.
- Grieve in sympathy if a calmity befalls him.
- Congratulate him if he is meg with good fortune.
When a member of your community is in need, danged or illness or calamity has fallen in him, it is your duty as a Muslim to reach out and offer them help . To fail to do this is to fail in our duty to our neighbors, and is to leave a gaping hole in the Ummah.
Rights of neighbours in Islam:
In Islam, the rights of neighbours hold a special place, transcending mere geographical proximity and representing a sacred bond of social and moral significance. These rights, integral to the fabric of Islamic teachings, emphasize the importance of being kind and considerate towards neighbors, a commandments from Allah SWT and strongly endorsed by Prophet Muhammad SAW. In a world where real - life interactions are often replaced by digital connections, understanding and implementing the rights of neighbours in Islam, becomes even more crucial.
The Quranic emphasis on neighborly rights:
Allah SWT emphasizes the importance of neighbourly in the Quran Kareem:
" And worship Allah SWT and associate none with him, and be good to parents, and to relatives, and to orphans, and to rye needy, and to the near neighbor and to the distant neighbor, and to the close companion and to the traveler; and to your male and female slaves; indeed, Allah SWT does not like the arrogant the boastful".
This verse underscores the importance of treating neighbors with kindness and compassion, alongside the reverence for parents and care for the less fortunate, highlighting the holistic approach of Islam towards social responsibilities.
Prophetic guidance on neighborly conduct:
The teachings of Prophet Muhammad SAW further reinforce the significance of neighbourly rights in Islam:
- Hazrat Abu Huraira narrates: " He who believes in Allah SWT and the last day should either utter good words or better keep silence; and he who believes in Allah SWT and the last day should treat his neighbor with kindness and he who believes in Allah SWT and the last day should show hospitality to his guests".
- Hazrat Abu Huraira also reported: " A person whose neighbors are not safe from his evil will not enter the garden".
- Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al As reported: " the best of neighbours in the sight of Allah SWT is the best among them towards his neighbor".
These Hadiths highlights that good treatment of neighbours is not just a social etiquette but an integral part of a Muslim's faith and a pathway to Allah's pleasure.
Comprehensive rights of neighbours:
Imam Muhammad Ghazali in Ihya ul- Uloom elaborates on the comprehensive rights of neighbours, providing a practical guide for Muslims:
- Initiating the greeting of Salam.
- Engaging in brief, polite conversation without prying.
- Inquiring after their health during illness.
- Assisting them in times of difficulty.
- Sharing in their moments of joy and sorrow.
- Forgiving their mistakes and overlooking minor annoyances.
- Respecting their privacy and not intruding upon their personal space.
- Avoiding any actions that could cause them discomfort, Suxh as loud noises or blocking shared pathways.
- Providing help in emergencies or accidents.
- Protecting their property in their absence.
- Refraining from gossip or listening to anything negative about the them.
- Lowering the gaze and respecting the privacy of their family members.
- Speaking kindly to their children and treating them with respect.
- Offering guidance in worldly and religious matters when sought.
Theaw rights reflect the depth and breath of social responsibility in Islam, emphasizing not just coexistence but active support and care for neighbors.
Significance about rights of neighbours in Islam:
In Islam, the rights of neighbours are given great importance because they help build a peaceful, caring, and just society. The Qur’an and Hadith strongly emphasize treating neighbours with kindness, respect, and fairness.
Significance of Neighbours’ Rights in Islam
Command from Allah
Allah clearly commands good treatment of neighbours in the Qur’an:
“Worship Allah… and do good to parents, relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbour and the distant neighbour…” (Qur’an 4:36)
This shows that caring for neighbours is part of faith.
Sign of True Faith
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that a person is not a true believer if they harm their neighbour. Respecting neighbours reflects strong iman (faith).
Social Peace and Harmony
When neighbours help and respect each other, it creates trust, safety, and unity in the community. Islam promotes social harmony through good neighbourly behavior.
Kindness Without Discrimination
Islam teaches kindness to all neighbours, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, rich or poor. This highlights Islam’s message of universal compassion.
Moral Responsibility
Helping neighbours in need, sharing food, avoiding harm, and showing good manners develop good character (akhlaq), which is highly valued in Islam.
Accountability in the Hereafter
Islam teaches that people will be questioned about how they treated others, including neighbours, making these rights spiritually significant.
Conclusion:
The rights of neighbours in Islam, as outlined in the Quran Kareem and Hadiths and detailed NY scholars like Imam Ghazali form ab integral part of the Islamic ethos. They teach us that being a good neighbor is not merely a societal norm but a religious obligation and a manifestation of one's faith. In a world where individualism often prevails, these teachings remind us of the importance of community, compassion and empathy. Fulfilling the rights of neighbours is a direct path to achieving a harmonious society and earning the pleasure of Allah SWT. May Allah SWT enable us to understand and practice these rights, strengthening the bonds of neighborliness in our communities Ameen Allahuma Ameen.