Understanding The Prophet's Life
From Issue: 584 [Read full issue]
Prophetic Wisdom on Neighbours
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.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) once said, "Jibril kept recommending treating neighbours with kindness until I thought he would assign a share of inheritance" (Bukhari and Muslim).
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, "American" food (i.e. fruits, veggies, chips, cookies, chocolate cake, frozen pizza, 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," the Prophet advised his Companion in a Hadith in Muslim.
It's not just about hunger. In America, the land of plenty, Alhamdu lillah, we won't find the shortage of food we would in many Muslim countries. Here, food really is 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,'' the Prophet said. It was asked, "Who is that, O Messenger of Allah?'' He said, "One whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil" (Bukhari and Muslim).
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.
The Prophet 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" (Tirmidhi).
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 future of Islam in this country doesn't only depend on this exchange of values and information. Our very faith and connection to Allah 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.
Compiled From:
SoundVision.com