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Salamun Alaikum, a slight nod of the head, a brief hello in the hallway or perhaps helping with a car stuck in the snow during winter. That's usually the most communication many of us have with those who are physically closer to us than most of our relatives, our neighbours.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) once said, "Jibril (Gabriel) kept recommending treating neighbours with kindness until I thought he would assign a share of inheritance."
Wow, our inheritance.
But let's think of something smaller. How about food? It's been said that food unites. While we all have our own tastes, food like fruits, veggies, chips, biscuits, cookies, breads, etc. can be found in virtually all of our homes, even those who staunchly cling to their ethnic identities.
When was the last time we offered a bag of chips or cookies to the kids downstairs? When was the last time we cut up some watermelon on a hot day and offered it to our neighbours?
"O Abu Dharr! Whenever you prepare a broth, put plenty of water in it and give some of it to your neighbours," Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) advised his Companion.
In Africa and many other Muslim countries, by sharing food with our neighbours, we are literally reducing the hunger pangs of many. But it's not just about hunger always when sharing with neighbours. Here, sharing really is about kindness, about uniting people, sharing what's common to our humanity. It's also about building neighbourly relations through small acts of kindness.
"By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer," Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said.
It was asked, "Who is that, O Messenger of Allah?"
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "One whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil."
Maybe we're not so bad. At least we don't yell and scream at our neighbours, threaten them, cheat them or lie to them. But we're reminded of our negligence towards our neighbours when we realize that how we treat them relates to our relationship with God, which is the very core of who we are as Muslims.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The best of companions with Allah is the one who is best to his companions and the best of neighbours to Allah is the one who is the best of them to his neighbour."
After 9/11, Muslim leaders in America have emphasized the need to share Islam with our neighbours to encourage better understanding and to build bridges. The bright future of Islam in the world doesn't only depend on Tabligh and this exchange of values and information. Our very faith and connection to Allah (SWT) is reflected in how we treat our neighbours. Perhaps this is the push we need to start connecting with them so we can better our relationship with God.
After knowing above facts, it is good opportunity to remind ourselves the saying of Fatima Zahra (sa): "Al-Jaar Thumma Al-Daar" - "(Beware of the rights of) the neighbours before (your own) home."
"O Muslim women! No one of you should consider insignificant (a gift) to give to her neighbour even if it is (a gift of) the trotters of a sheep." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Salamun Alaikum, a slight nod of the head, a brief hello in the hallway or perhaps helping with a car stuck in the snow during winter. That's usually the most communication many of us have with those who are physically closer to us than most of our relatives, our neighbours.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) once said, "Jibril (Gabriel) kept recommending treating neighbours with kindness until I thought he would assign a share of inheritance."
Wow, our inheritance.
But let's think of something smaller. How about food? It's been said that food unites. While we all have our own tastes, food like fruits, veggies, chips, biscuits, cookies, breads, etc. can be found in virtually all of our homes, even those who staunchly cling to their ethnic identities.
When was the last time we offered a bag of chips or cookies to the kids downstairs? When was the last time we cut up some watermelon on a hot day and offered it to our neighbours?
"O Abu Dharr! Whenever you prepare a broth, put plenty of water in it and give some of it to your neighbours," Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) advised his Companion.
In Africa and many other Muslim countries, by sharing food with our neighbours, we are literally reducing the hunger pangs of many. But it's not just about hunger always when sharing with neighbours. Here, sharing really is about kindness, about uniting people, sharing what's common to our humanity. It's also about building neighbourly relations through small acts of kindness.
"By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer," Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said.
It was asked, "Who is that, O Messenger of Allah?"
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "One whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil."
Maybe we're not so bad. At least we don't yell and scream at our neighbours, threaten them, cheat them or lie to them. But we're reminded of our negligence towards our neighbours when we realize that how we treat them relates to our relationship with God, which is the very core of who we are as Muslims.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The best of companions with Allah is the one who is best to his companions and the best of neighbours to Allah is the one who is the best of them to his neighbour."
After 9/11, Muslim leaders in America have emphasized the need to share Islam with our neighbours to encourage better understanding and to build bridges. The bright future of Islam in the world doesn't only depend on Tabligh and this exchange of values and information. Our very faith and connection to Allah (SWT) is reflected in how we treat our neighbours. Perhaps this is the push we need to start connecting with them so we can better our relationship with God.
After knowing above facts, it is good opportunity to remind ourselves the saying of Fatima Zahra (sa): "Al-Jaar Thumma Al-Daar" - "(Beware of the rights of) the neighbours before (your own) home."
"O Muslim women! No one of you should consider insignificant (a gift) to give to her neighbour even if it is (a gift of) the trotters of a sheep." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
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NajimudeeN M
NajimudeeN M
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