Kindness to Neighbors

"Choose your neighbor before choosing your residence," is a widespread
Arabic proverb that means that it is according to the value and merit
of the neighbor that the price of the residence should be estimated. A
good neighbor is a source of happiness.
The Virtue of Being Kind to one's Neighbor in Islam
Islam considers the rightsof the neighbor to be extremely important.
Theangel Jibreel (Gabriel) continued to urge the Prophet, , to treat
neighbors with kindness until he thought that the Sharee'ah would
assign him a share of his neighbor's inheritance. The Prophet, , said:
"Jibreel kept on recommending me to treat neighbors kindly and
politely so that I thought that Allaah would order [me] to make them
[my] heirs." The Quran recommends treating neighbors kindly. Allaah
The Almighty Says (what means): } Worship Allaah and associate nothing
with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives,orphans, the needy,
the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your
side… { [Quran 4:36] Look how the Prophet, , exhorted Muslims to be
good to their neighbors and to honor them when he said: "… and whoever
believes in Allaah and theLast Day, should serve his neighbor
generously." The narration of Muslim states: "Should be good to his
neighbor."
The matter reached the degree that loving goodness for one's neighbor
is considered a part of faith under the Sharee'ah . The Prophet, ,
said: "By the One in whose Hands [1] my soul is, no slave of Allaah
has true faith unless he likes for his neighbor what he likes for
himself." A person who is good to his neighbor is the best of people
in the sight of Allaah The Almighty, as the Prophet said: "The best
companion in the sight of Allaah is the one who is best to his
companion, and the best neighbor in the sight of Allaah is the one who
is the best to his neighbor."
Who is the Neighbor?
The neighbor is the person who lives near one, regardless of whether
he is a Muslim ora non-Muslim. Scholars have different opinions
regarding the boundaries to which one is considered a neighbor.The
closest opinion to thetruth is that they are determined according to
what people are accustomed to regarding such a limit, and Allaah Knows
best. The degrees of neighbors vary: there is the Muslim neighbor who
is a relative, the Muslim neighbor who is not, the disbeliever who is
a relative, and a disbelieving neighbor who is not. All these typesof
neighbors share many rights while some of them are distinguished with
additional rights according to their state and degree.
Some Forms of Neighborliness
Some people think that the neighbor is only the one who lives near
your residence. Undoubtedly, this is one of the commonest forms;
however, there are otherforms that are included in the concept of
neighborliness. There is the neighbor at work, in the market, on the
farm, in the classroom, and many others.
Some Rights of the Neighbor
There is no doubt that the neighbor has many rights of which we will
mention some, the most important of which, are:
1- Returning his greetings and accepting his invitations: although
this is a general right for all Muslims, it is even more important
with regards to neighbors, as it has a good effect in spreading
amiability and affection.
2- Refraining from harming him: in fact, this is one of the greatest
rights of neighbors. Harming anyone, in general, is unlawful; however,
this ruling is intensified if the harm befalls the neighbor. The
Prophet, , strictly warned, in various ways, about harming the
neighbor. The Prophet, , said: "By Allaah, he is not a believer! By
Allaah, he is not a believer! By Allaah, he is not a believer." It was
asked, "Who, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said: "One whose neighbor does
notfeel safe from his evil." When it was said to him: "O Messenger of
Allaah, awoman performs voluntary prayers at night and fasts during
the day, but she offends her neighbors with her tongue." He said:
"There is no good in her; she is in Hell." The Prophet, , also said:
"He does not enter Paradise whose neighboris not secure from his
evil."
A man came to the Prophet, , complainingabout the harm of his
neighbor. The Prophet, , said to him : "Put your belongings in the
road." The man did so, and whenever people passed by him and asked him
why he had done so, and came to know about how his neighbor was
harming him, they cursedthis neighbor. Then, the bad neighbor came to
the Messenger of Allaah, , complaining about the people cursing him.
The Messenger of Allaah, , said: "Allaah has cursed you before the
people did."
3- Bearing the harm of the neighbor, which is a trait of noble,
chivalrous people and those of high aspiration. This is because many
people canrefrain from harming others, but bearing their harm with
patience while seeking the rewardof Allaah is of a higher degree, as
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
· } Repel, by [means of] what is best, [their] evil. { [Quran 23:96]
· } And whoever is patient and forgives - indeed, that is of the
matters [requiring] determination. { [Quran 42:43]
Al-Hasan said: "Being a good neighbor is not by refraining from
harming; rather, being a good neighbor is to bear harm."
4- Pursuing and accomplishing his needs: the Messenger, , said: "He
who spends the night satiated while knowing that his next door
neighbor is hungry does not truly believe in me." The righteous
predecessors would check upon their neighbors and make efforts to
fulfill their needs. Sometimes a Companion of the Prophet, , would
receive a gift and then send it to his neighbor, who would send it to
another neighbor, who would send it to another neighbor, and it would
circulate around more than ten houses until it finally reached the
first one again. When 'Abdullaah ibn 'Umar slaughtered a sheep, he
said to his servant, "Whenyou skin it, begin [distributing it] by
going to our Jewish neighbor." 'Aa'ishah asked the messenger of
Allaah, , "I have two neighbors, to which of them should Ioffer a
gift?'' He replied: "To the one whose door is nearer to you."
5- Concealing his secrets and guarding his honor: this is one of the
most sacred of rights. Due to living in the same neighborhood, the
neighbor may know some secret matters of his neighbor; he should
accustom himself to concealing these secrets with the intention that
if he does so Allaah The Almighty would conceal his secrets in the
worldly life and the Hereafter. However, if he reveals such matters,
then, he is subjecting himself to be repaid with the same kind of
treatment. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): } And your Lord
isnot ever unjust to [His] servants .} [Quran 41:46] In the
pre-Islamic era, theArabs would boast about guarding their neighbors'
honor. 'Antarah said: "I lower mygaze if my [female] neighbor comes
out untilshe returns into her dwelling." There was a Muslim poet who
said, "My [female]neighbor is not harmed if I am her neighbor and her
house has no curtains, as I behave as if I am blind when she comes out
untilthe shelter conceals her."
Finally, we should be aware that happiness, unity and the spread of
love among the membersof a society cannot be accomplished without
observing these rights and others which are brought by the Sharee'ah .
The reality of many people proves that these rights are being
neglected, to the extent that they may not know the name of their next
door neighbor. Some people usurp the rights of their neighbors and may
even betray their neighbors and trifle with their honor and the honor
of their women. This is surely the gravest of the grave major sins.
The Prophet, , was asked: "What is the greatest sin?" In his answer he
mentioned: "To commit adultery withyour neighbor's wife."
We supplicate to Allaah The Almighty to help us and all Muslims to
observe the rights of our neighbors.
[1] We believe in and affirm the attributes of Allaah that occur in
the Quran and authentic Hadeeths of the Prophet, , without distorting
their wordings or meanings, nor denying them, nor asking how they are,
nor drawing resemblance between Allaah and any of His creation. - -
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Thinking Well of Others Relieves the Heart

Nothing relieves the heart and makes one happy more than thinking well
of others. Itprotects one from the harm of worrisome thoughts that
disturb his peace of mind and exhaust the body. Thinking well of
others leads to a sound heart, strengthens the ties of cordiality and
love among the individuals of a community, and frees the hearts from
hatred and rancor. The Prophet, , said: "Beware of assumptions, for
assumption is the falsest of speech, and do not be inquisitive, and do
not spy upon one another, and do not vie with one another, and do not
envyone another, and do not hate one another, and donot shun one
another; befellow-brothers and slaves of Allaah." If only the members
of the Muslim community wouldadhere to this sublime behavior, their
enemies would never dare to attack them and their famous policy of
"divide and rule" will never succeed because the hearts are united and
thesouls are pure.
Ways to Think Well of Others
There are certainly many ways that a Muslim can think well of others;
some of which are:
1- Supplication
Supplicating to Allaah The Almighty is the gate to every goodness. The
Prophet, , would ask his Lord to grant him a sound heart.
2- Putting Oneself in the Place of Others
If each one of us puts himself in the place of hisbrother when the
latter does or says something, this will help him think well of
others. Allaah The Almighty directs His slaves to this meaning in the
verse where He Says (what means): } Why, when you heard it [the
falsehood against 'Aa'ishah ], did not thebelieving men and believing
women think good of one another? { [Quran 24:12] In another verse,
Allaah The Almighty makes the believers feel as if they are one single
entity, to the extent that when oneof them meets his brother and
greets him, it is as if he is greeting himself. Allaah The Almighty
Says (what means): } But when you enter houses, give greetings of
peace upon yourselves - a greeting from Allaah. { [Quran 24:61]
3- Interpreting the Wordsof Others in the Best Possible Way
This was the habit of the righteous predecessors. 'Umar said, "Do not
think ill of a word that your believing brother utters as long as it
can beinterpreted in a good way."
Imaam Ash-Shaafi'i was ill once, and some of his brothers came to
visit him; one of them said, "May Allaah strengthen your weakness [He
intended to supplicate to Allaah in order to eliminate his weakness]."
Ash-Shaafi'i said, "If Allaah strengthens my weakness, it would kill
me!" The man said, "By Allaah, I intended nothing but goodness."
Ash-Shaafi'i replied, "Even if you insulted me, I know that you sought
goodness." Thinking well of others is true brotherhood, even in things
that cannot be interpreted in a good way.
4- Making Excuses for Others
When anyone says or does something that annoys or grieves one,
heshould try to find excusesfor him and recall the status of the
righteous who used to think well oftheir fellows and make excuses for
them. They would say, "You should make seventy excuses foryour
brother." Ibn Seereen said, "If you come to know that a brother has
harmed you with either a word or a deed, you should make an excuse for
him; if you did not find one, you should say, 'There may bean excuse
that I do not know of.'" When you exert your utmost to make excuses
for the words and deeds of others, you will save yourself the trouble
of assuming and you will avoid blaming your fellows excessively.
5- Abstaining from Judging the Intentions ofOthers
This is one of the greatestcauses that help one think well of others.
One leaves the intentions to the only One who knows them: Allaah The
Almighty, for He did not command us to check each others' hearts and
intentions, and thus we have to avoid harboring ill-thoughts about
others.
6- Recalling the Harmful Consequences of Evil Assumptions
The one who thinks ill of others lives in endless trouble and grief,
to say nothing of the fact that he loses all those who socialize with
him, even the closest people to him.It is natural that people make
mistakes, even unintentionally. Accusing others along with thinking
well of oneself is one of the evil consequences of thinkingill of
others. This is one way a person may be guilty of ascribing purity to
oneself that Allaah TheExalted forbade in His Book. Allaah The
Almighty Says (what means): } So do not claim yourselves to be pure;
He is most knowing of who fears Him. { [Quran 53:32] In another verse,
Allaah The Exalted criticizes the Jews when they ascribed purity to
themselves. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): } Have you not seen
those who claimthemselves to be pure? Rather, Allaah purifies whom He
wills, and injustice is not done to them, [even] as much as athread
[inside a date seed]. { [Quran 4:49]
Thinking well of others requires extensive training and striving
against one's self, particularly because the devil is inseparable from
man like the blood that runs through his body. He never stops his
attempts to sow dissension within the Muslims and stir up disputes
among them. Thinking well of others isone of the greatest means to
block this way before the devil. We ask Allaah The Almighty to Grant
us sound hearts and Help us to think well of our brothers and sisters.

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Dought & clear, - How we should react towebsites that vilify Islam,and what are the ways in which we can supportIslam?.

There are many websitesthat attack Islam and revile Allah, His
Messenger, and his companions and wives in the worst terms. Thereare
some ignorant and immature Muslims who try to stand up to these sites,
but they come up with refutations that areconfusing and unclear, so
their refutation appears flimsy at the time when the specious
arguments of the others appear strong, thus they often end up doing
more harm than good for Islam. These (hostile) websites have no
credibility, so if one of those whom Allah has blessed with knowledge
– of whom there are fewwho frequent these websites – were to offer a
powerful refutation of the specious arguments, the owners of these
websites will completely delete the counter-argument or remove parts
of it so that it will appear weak and flawed. But if the refutation
comes from one who is ignorant, they will leave it. Why don't you
offer some words of advice to thoseMuslims who are lacking in
knowledge but who try to stand up to these websites, and warn them of
the seriousness of what they are doing. Why don't you tell those of us
who do not have much knowledge about ways in which we can support
Islam and call people to it?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The websites that speak ill of the religion of Allahand of His
Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) are no different
from the gatherings where people say similar thingsthat constitute
kufr. In both cases it is haraam to stay in such gatherings and it is
haraam to visit such websites, except for one who will object to what
they do and is able to put a stop to these offences. If he is not
ableto do that, and those people carry on with what they are doing,
then it is not permissibleto remain in that gathering and it is not
permissible to visit thosewebsites.
Allah, may He be exalted,says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And when you (Muhammad SAW) see those who engage in a false
conversation aboutOur Verses (of the Qur'an) by mocking at them, stay
away from them till they turn to another topic. And if Shaytaan
(Satan) causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit notyou in
the company of those people who are the Zalimoon (polytheists and
wrongdoers, etc.)"
[al-An'aam 6:68]
"And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Quran) that
when you hear the Verses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit
not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (butif you
stayed with them) certainly in that case youwould be like them"
[an-Nisa' 4:140].
The scholars of Islam – inthe past and at present –have warned
ordinary Muslims against reading the books of those who promote
innovation andmisguidance, and against debating with heretics and
atheists, except for those Muslims who have knowledge of Islam and of
the beliefs and ideology of the person he is arguing against, lest the
speciousarguments of those who oppose Islam confuse the weak or
ignorant person.
We have discussed this clearly in the answers to questions no. 126041
, 92781 and 96231 .
Secondly:
Based on the above, it is not permissible for one who is lacking in
knowledge and insight to go to these websites and look at them; it is
also not permissible for him to debate with those disbelievers and try
to refute them, because he does not have strong insight, by which we
mean correct and sound knowledge that will protect his belief and with
which hecan stand up to the enemies.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to his words– i.e., the words of 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may
Allah be pleased with him) in his will – (in which he says of one who
is weak in faith): "Doubt will take root in his heart when he
encounters the slightest specious argument", that is because of his
lack of knowledge and insight. This is unlike the one who has deep
knowledge; even if specious arguments come to him like the waves of
the sea, they cannot affect his certain faith or instil any doubt in
his mind, because he is well versed in knowledge, so specious
arguments do not faze him. Rather, if they cometo him, he wards them
off by means of his knowledge, and the specious arguments will be
utterly defeated and crushed. Doubts can enter a person's mind and
prevent him from seeing the truth, but once he acquires deep
knowledge, those doubts will not have anyimpact on him; rather his
knowledge and certain faith will increase by refuting it and finding
out how false it is. But if he does not have deep knowledge, he will
develop doubts the first time he encounters any specious argument. So
he should deal with these doubts, otherwise they will accumulate in
his heart until they become very strong and control his thoughts.
End quote from Miftaah Dar as-Sa'aadah, 1/140
Even the seeker of knowledge is not permitted to enter these chat
rooms if he is not going to be allowed to speak the truth. If he knows
that his argumentagainst the disbelieving opponent will be erased,then
he should not stay with them at all or take part in their gatherings
or chat rooms, because his presence in places of misguidance will
cause certain damage without achieving any good suchas changing evil
or speaking out against it and enjoining what is good.
Thirdly:
As it is not permissible for the ordinary Muslim, or even for the
seeker ofknowledge or scholar, toenter these websites if they will not
be allowed to answer back, then what is the solution? Theanswer is
that the solution is propagating sound beliefs in chat rooms and
websites thatallow the people of Islam to speak the word of truth they
have, without erasing their words. The solution is to set up websites
that collect specious arguments and refute them on the basis of
knowledge, and to tell the Muslims to refer to these sites to learn
about their religion and find out what the enemies of Islam have
ofignorance and lies.
Fourthly:
Supporting Islam is obligatory for every Muslim according to what he
is able to do, whether he is an ordinary Muslim or a scholar, male or
female; he can do something to support Islam and support the Messenger
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That includes the
following:
1.
Increasing his knowledge of Islam, seeking knowledge and learning, so
that he will be able to protect himself against the specious arguments
of the enemies of Islam, and so that he can increase in certainty
thathe is following the clear truth.
2.
The Muslim should be obedient to his Lord, may He be exalted, and he
should keep away from what He has forbidden. This is one of the
greatest things that the Muslim can do to support his religion.
Allah, may He be exalted,says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help
you, and make your foothold firm"
[Muhammad 47:7].
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeeti (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Those who have Muslim names but commit all kinds of sin then say
"Allah will support us" are deceived, because they are not among the
party of Allah who are promised His support, as is quite obvious.
What is meant by the believers' support of Allah is their support of
His religion and His Book, and their efforts and striving to make His
word supreme and to establish His limits on earth, obeying His
commands and avoidingwhat He has forbidden, and judging between His
slaves in accordance with what He revealed to His Messenger (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him).
End quote from Adwa' al-Bayaan, 7/252
3.
He should play a part in spreading educational and da'wah websites
among Muslims and others, by making email lists that can be used for
correspondence or by corresponding with friends he knows so thateach
one may play his role in spreading this goodness and knowledge among
people.
4.
He can also support active Islamic websites and chat rooms on Paltalk.
The Muslim should also support Islamic activists who are playing their
role in supporting Islam.
5.
Enabling daa'iyahs and seekers of knowledge todevote their time to
calling people to the religion of Allah and teaching the Muslims
therulings of Islam. There is an urgent need to enable some of these
people to devote their time to undertaking the mission of da'wah and
education.
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Dought & clear, - Can the foetus be aborted if the mother reads Soorat az-Zalzalah?.

One of the women is saying that if a pregnantwoman reads Soorat
az-Zalzalah, the foetus will be miscarried because of reading this
soorah. She also says that if she goes for ruqyah as prescribed in
Islam, she had to tell the raaqi that she is pregnant so that he can
avoid reciting Soorat az-Zalzalah over her, so that the foetus will
not be miscarried. Is this true? May Allah reward you with the best of
rewards and benefit the ummah by means of you.
Praise be to Allah.
The Muslim should not believe that any harm may be caused by reciting
some soorahs ofthe Qur'an; this notion is contrary to the words of
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted (interpretation of the
meaning): "Say: It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing"
[Fussilat 41:44].
There is nothing in the books of the fuqaha' or scholars, or in the
reports from the righteous early generations that anyoneused to warn
pregnant women against reading Soorat az-Zalzalah; rather those who
had memorised the Holy Qur'an, both men and women, have always been
eager to complete the recitation of the Qur'an within the periodin
which they usually do that, without any exception. The one who dares
to warn against reading a specific soorah -- even in a specific
situation -- has dared to do something serious.
Yes, it cannot be denied that this soorah or others may be
beneficialin making it easier for the pregnant woman to deliver the
baby if that isproven by experience, but that does not imply the
opposite, that it could lead to miscarriage at the beginning of the
pregnancy, because there can be no evil or harm in the words of Allah,
may He be glorified and exalted, under any circumstances.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Chapter on difficult birth: al-Khallaal said: 'Abdullah ibn Ahmad told
me: I saw my father writing for women who had difficulty in giving
birth, on a white cup or something clean; he would write the hadeethof
Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allahbe pleased with him): "There is no god but
Allah, the Most Forbearing, the Most Generous; Glory be to Allah, the
Lord of the Mighty Throne; praise beto Allah the Lord of the Worlds.
'On the Day when they will see that (torment) with which they are
promised (i.e. threatened, it will be) as if they had not stayed more
than an hour in a single day. (O mankind! This Quran is sufficient as)
a clear Message (or proclamation to save yourself from destruction)'
[al-Ahqaaf 46:35]; 'as if they had not tarried (in this world) except
an afternoon or a morning' [Naazi'aat 79:46]."
Al-Khallaal said: Abu Bakral-Marwazi told us that aman came to Abu
'Abdullah and said: O Abu 'Abdullah, will you write something for a
woman who has been having difficulties in labour for two days?
He said: Tell him to bringa large cup and some saffron. And I saw him
writing for more than one person and narrating from 'Ikrimah that Ibn
'Abbaas said: 'Eesa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon our Prophet
and upon him) passed by a cow that was having difficulty giving birth
and she said: O Word of Allah, pray to Allah to relieve me of the
difficulty I am in.
He said: O Creator of a soul from another soul, the One who delivers
one soul from another, deliver her. Then she delivered her calf and
stood up and began to smell him. He said: So if awoman is having
difficulty in childbirth, write this for her. And the ruqyah mentioned
above, if you write it for her it will be beneficial. End quote.
Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/326
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked the
following question:
Are there any verses thatcould be recited in orderto make childbirth
easierfor the woman?
He replied:
I do not know anything of that nature from the Sunnah, but if one
recites over the woman whose labour has begunverses that speak of
ease, such as "Allaah intends for you ease, and He does not want to
make things difficult for you"[al-Baqarah 2:185]; or that speak of
pregnancy and childbirth, such as: "nor does a female conceive (within
her womb), nor brings forth (young), except by His Knowledge"
[Fussilat 41:47]; or "When the earth is shaken with its (final)
earthquake, And when the earth throws out its burdens" [az-Zalzalah
99:1-2], – that will be beneficial, by Allah's leave. All of theQur'an
is healing; if the reciter and the one over whom it is recited both
believe in its effects, then it will inevitably have an effect,
because Allah, may He be exalted,says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And We send down from the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy
to those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism and act on it), and it
increases the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers) nothing but loss"
[al-Isra' 17:82].
This verse is general in meaning: healing and mercy includes healing
of hearts from the diseases of doubts and whims and desires, as well
as healing of bodiesfrom chronic diseases.
End quote from Fataawa Noor 'ala ad-Darb, Fataawa
al-'Aqeedah/al-'Ibaadah,tape no. 257, side A.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) also said:
As for experience, if you go through an experience and you reach a
conclusion that has a basis in Islamic texts, then this is a
confirmation of what is in the texts. But if the conclusion refers to
something that is not mentioned in the texts, then there are two
scenarios: if this conclusion is based on empirical science, then
undoubtedly it is valid and is to be taken into account; if, however,
it has to do with shar 'i matters, then it is not to be taken into
account (because there is no reference to it in the Islamic texts).
There is a basis for seeking healing by means of the Holy Qur'an,
because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And We send down from the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy
to those who believe"
[al-Isra' 17:82].
There is a basis for this, so if some particular verses of the Qur'an
are tried for some disease and prove to be beneficial, this experience
is confirmation of what it says in the Qur'an about it being a healing
for people.
With regard to matters other than worship, it is undoubtedly subject
to experience and empirical science. If a person, for example, has
knowledge and experience of what the earth produces of herbs and the
like, and he goes out to the countryside and gathers what he thinks is
beneficial and tries it, then whatever conclusions he reaches may be
valid.
End quote from al-Liqa' ash-Shahri, no. 37, question no. 26
To sum up: none of the soorahs of the Qur'an can harm a pregnant or
breastfeeding woman oranyone else; rather they are good and
beneficial, and bring barakah (blessing) to the one who recites them
and the one who listens to them, by Allah's leave.
And Allah knows best.

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