“Worship God: and do not associate partners with Him. Be good to your parents, to relatives, to orphans, to the needy, and the neighbour who is a kinsman, and the neighbour who is not related to you and your companions and the wayfarers and those whom you rightfully possess.”
Al-Nisa’4:36
Whatever man possesses is provided by God. This reality demands that man should surrender himself to God and become His worshipper. Such a person naturally becomes humble and his humility is expressed in his relations with the other human beings interacting in his life. He behaves decently with his mother and father and feels the watchful presence of God while dealing with all those who come into contact with him. He pays everybody’s due in accordance with his relationship and need. To overlook a person, in whatever capacity he has to deal with him, appears to him as if he himself is taking the risk of being overlooked by God.
Neighbours are our nearest companions. After family members, it is neighbours one comes in contact with. Developing good relations with neighbours is, therefore, an important aspect of a God-oriented life.
A neighbour, be he a co-religionist or an adherent of another religion, be he of one’s own community or of another, must always be taken good care of. He must be given his dues at all events, according to the demands of the Shariah and of humanity.
According to a hadith, the Prophet of Islam observed, “By God, anyone who is a threat to his neighbour is no believer.”
According to this hadith, if a Muslim becomes a source of trouble to his neighbours, his faith itself will become suspect.
The humanity of a person and the first criterion of his religiosity and spirituality are tested by the way he behaves towards his neighbours.The relationship with a neighbour serves as a test of whether a person has human feelings or not and whether he is sensitive to Islamic teachings or not.
If a person’s neighbours are happy with him, that is proof of his being a good man, but if his neighbours are unhappy with him, that is proof that his behaviour leaves much to be desired.
The commands in the Shariah regarding neighbours indicate that a believer must make concessions to his neighbours unilaterally. That is, by doing well to them even if they are ill behaved towards him.
Being a good neighbour is the first step towards becoming a good human being. It is the good neighbour who will find a share in God’s blessings in the Hereafter.
