The Rights of Neighbours

One should treat one’s neighbour with the same respect and honour as he does his own family members. Then he can be said to be a truly good person.

Islam lays great stress on giving neighbours their rights. The Prophet of Islam once observed, “Those who believe in God must interact with their neighbours with respect and honour.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6019) There is another tradition in which he said: “That person is not a believer who gives trouble to his neighbour.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6016)

Any person’s first contact is with his neighbour. Therefore, a person’s first test is also in terms of his relationship with his neighbours. If someone is evil, his relations with his neighbours will be bad. If someone is good, his relations with his neighbours will be good.

A person’s humanity is not known by how he behaves with those who live at a distance. The real sign of his humanity is how he deals with those who live in his neighbourhood. In this matter, without doubt, a neighbour is the nearest person a person will come in contact with.

Because of this closeness, the effect of every action reaches one’s neighbours. If, for no good reason, you make noise in your home, the sound will travel to the neighbour. If you pollute the air, the smoke will enter your neighbour’s home. If you throw garbage outside your home, this unpleasantness will have to be borne by your neighbour too. In this way, the effect of all your good and bad deeds reaches your neighbours. He experiences the good things that you do and also the bad things that you do.

Therefore, one ought to be very prudent about how he deals with neighbours. He should treat his neighbour with the same respect and honour as he does his own family members.

Anyone who is living in the neighbourhood of a tree cannot be adversely affected by its shadow. Similarly, the effects of the good deeds of a truly good person will inevitably reach his neighbours.