How A Muslim Should Be With Their Neighbours

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Who is the neighbour?

Shaykh al-Albânî said:

Everything that has been narrated suggesting that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم defined it as being forty (houses in each direction) is weak and is not authentic.

What appears to be the case is that it is to be defined according to what is customary. (Silsilat al-Ahâdîth ad-Da‘îfah (1/446).

Ibn ‘Âbidîn said in Hâshiyah (2/259):

The neighbour, according to custom, is the one whose house is next to yours or the one who lives in the same locality.

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymîn said:

A neighbour is the one who lives near a person’s house or those around him (Al-Qawlul Mufîd)

Narrations regarding the rights of the neighbour

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ لاَ يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لأَخِيهِ – أَوْ قَالَ لِجَارِهِ – مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ ‏”

Anas bin Mâlik narrated that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

“None amongst you believes (truly) until he loves for his brother” – or he said “for his neighbour” – “that which he loves for himself.” (Sahîh Muslim 45)

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ لاَ يَأْمَنُ جَارُهُ بَوَائِقَهُ ‏”‏ ‏

Abû Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allâh صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

He will not enter Paradise whose neighbour is not secure from his evil (Sahîh Muslim 46)

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ جَارَهُ وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ ‏”‏

Abû Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allâh صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

… And he who believes in Allâh and the Last Day should honor his neighbour (Sahîh Muslim 47)

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلاَ يُؤْذِي جَارَهُ

Abû Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allâh صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

He who believes in Allâh and the Last Day does not annoy his neighbour (Sahîh Muslim 47B)

عَنْ أَبِي شُرَيْحٍ الْخُزَاعِيِّ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيُحْسِنْ إِلَى جَارِهِ

Abû Shuraih al-Khuzâî narrated that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

He who believes in Allâh and the Last Day should treat his neighbour well (Sahîh Muslim 48)

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ مَا زَالَ جِبْرِيلُ يُوصِينِي بِالْجَارِ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيُوَرِّثُهُ ‏”

Ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Messenger of Allâh صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Jibrîl kept urging me that neighbours should be treated well until I thought he would make them heirs.” (Sahîh Muslim 2625)