Your Neighbors, Your Faith?

It is well established that neighbors have a claim to good and kindly treatment. This is encouraged by all religions. It is also universally accepted in all human societies, apart perhaps from some highly materialistic and individualistic ideas.

However, it is given more prominence and greater importance under Islam. The Quran makes it clear that neighbors are entitled to such kindness, whether they are related to us or not, God says in the Quran what means:

[Worship God alone and do not associate with Him any partners. Be kind to your parents and near of kin, to orphans, the needy, the neighbor who is related to you and the neighbor who is a stranger, the friend by your side, the wayfarer, and those whom your right hands possess. God does not love those who are arrogant and boastful.] (An-Nisaa' 4: 36)

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) urged his companions and all Muslims in all generations to look after their neighbors and be ready with help whenever help is needed, even by a neighbor whose behavior is far from neighborly.

After he became God's final messenger, he lived in Makkah for 13 years in very hostile surroundings. Some of his neighbors were bent on giving him a hard time, resorting to all sorts of tactics that were bound to offend and harass even the most patient of people.

Yet Prophet Muhammad never replied with anything other than a good turn. The maximum that he did to express his irritation when neighbors repeatedly threw filth at his doorstep, was to ask: What sort of neighborliness is this?

When Prophet Muhammad immigrated to Madinah, he sought to strengthen ties between his followers. His community was steadily growing in power and numbers. He urged his followers to maintain the best of neighborly relations. He considered kindness to neighbors as a sign of strong faith.

Hence, if a person is aware of his neighbor's poverty and does not give a helping hand, he is not a believer. Prophet Muhammad said:

"Archangel Gabriel continued to urge me to be kind to neighbors until I started to think that he would tell me that they have a share of my inheritance." (Muslim).

He also said: "Whoever believes in God and in the Day of Judgment must not offend his neighbor." (Al-Bukhari)

Needless to say, the closer a neighbor is the higher is his claim to our kindness. Lady Aishah asked Prophet Muhammad,

"Messenger of God! I have two neighbors; whom should I favor with my gifts?"

He replied: "To the one next door to you." (Al-Bukahri).

Indeed, when next door neighbors are in dire need, they may be given precedence over close relatives. Prophet Muhammad's darling daughter, Fatimah, and her husband, Ali, his own cousin, asked him to give them a servant when some slaves were brought to him.

He refused their request because people staying next to the mosque were suffering from hunger. Those poor people were immigrants in Madinah who arrived with nothing and could not easily find work. They stayed close to the mosque, and Prophet Muhammad looked after them.

They were known as the people of Al-Suffah. Their numbers varied as some of them found work and moved into a home in Madinah, but newcomers joined them as they arrived to join the Muslim community. When Prophet Muhammad received any gift of food, he would eat some of it and send the rest to them.

If such a gift was a charity, he would send it all to them because, as a prophet, charity was not lawful for him or his household to take.

Prophet Muhammad's Companion, Abu Hurairah, was one of the people of Al-Suffah and he relates the following story"

"By God, other than whom there is no deity, I might at times be so hungry that I would lie with my abdomen to the floor, or I would tie up a stone on my belly to relieve the pangs of hunger. One day, I sat by the roadside, where people would pass by me. The Prophet passed by and smiled as he saw me. From my looks, he realized what I was feeling.

"He called me and I said: "At your service, Messenger of God!"

"He told me to follow him and went along. I followed him until he went inside his home, and then admitted me. He saw some milk in a cup. He asked where did that milk come from. He was told that it was a gift sent by a certain person.

"He said to me: "Go to the people of Al-Suffah and invite them to come."

"When on this occasion he told me to call the people of Al-Suffah, I was displeased. I thought: "How far will such little amount of milk go among the people of Al-Suffah? I could have had a proper drink of milk to regain my strength. Now when they come, I will have to serve them. What will remain for me of this small cup of milk?"

"Yet there was nothing for me but to obey God and His messenger. I went to them and called them. They came in, and he admitted them. They sat down in his home.

"The Prophet said to me: "Take this milk and give it to them to drink."

"I took up the cup and gave it to the next man. He drank his fill and gave it back to me. I would then give it to the next man, and this was repeated time after time until they all had had their fill. I then went up to the Prophet. He took up the cup, put it on his hand, looked at me and smiled.

"He then said to me: "Abu Hurayrah! Only you and I are left." I said: "That is right, Messenger of God!" He said: "Sit down and drink!" I did so.

"He then said: "Drink." I did.

He continued to tell me to drink until I said: "By Him who sent you with the message of truth, I can drink no more."

"He said: "Let me have a look." I gave him the cup.

"He praised God, said, "Bismillah" (which means: "in God’s name") and drank the remainder." (Al-Bukahri).

This is just one of the many occasions when the Prophet shared out very little food or drink among a large number of people. Muslims believe that because of this overwhelming goodness, God blessed that food and drink for him and it sufficed by God's will.

The Prophet's Advice to Muslims

Three Conditions for a Perfect Faith

The Last Day is the day in which a believer will enjoy the fruits of his belief

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is reported to have said:

"Let whosoever believes in God and in the Last Day either speak good or be silent.

Let whosoever believes in God and in the Last Day honor his neighbor.

Let whosoever believes in God and in the Last Day honor his guest."

(Al-Bukhari)

In this hadith, the Prophet outlines three conditions for having a perfect faith. We notice here that the Prophet links between believing in God and believing in the Last Day. This is because the Last Day is the day in which a believer will enjoy the fruits of his belief. It is on that day that the benefits of meeting the conditions stipulated in this hadith will be reaped.

Speak Good or Be Silent

Your tongue is a trust from God and therefore it should be properly used. The hadith suggests two good uses of the tongue. Speaking good is one that entails giving advice to people, teaching people, ordaining good, forbidding evil, reading the Quran, mentioning God, ... etc.

In another hadith the Prophet even depicts how the tongue could be an important tool for change in society: "Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart; and that is the weakest of faith." (Muslim)

On the other hand it should be made clear that whosoever speaks bad or does not remain silent is not a believer, meaning that his belief is not perfect, or that he is an ordinary believer who does not ascend to the level of excellence.

And remaining silent should not be understood to mean not to speak the truth to remove injustice or oppression. There are cases which necessitate that one should speak up. When the Prophet was asked what kind of jihad is best? He, peace be upon him, replied: "A word of truth spoken in front of an oppressive ruler." (Al-Nasa'i)

Thus, the original situation is to remain silent. You speak only when you are asked to speak. The Prophet was once asked if we are held accountable for the things we utter. And his answer was: Does anything topple people headlong into the Hellfire save the harvests of their tongues? We, therefore, should abstain from all kinds of evil talk like backbiting, gossip, etc.

Honoring Neighbors

Thie second condition of having a perfect faith is that you should show kindness and hospitality to your neighbors, as Muslims are highly recommended to take care of their neighbors. To that God says: {And worship God [alone], and do not ascribe divinity, in any way, to aught beside Him. And do good unto your parents, and near of kin, and unto orphans, and the needy, and the neighbor from among your own people, and the neighbor who is a stranger, and the friend by your side, and the wayfarer, and those whom you rightfully possess. Verily, God does not love any of those who, full of self-conceit, act in a boastful manner.}(Al-Nisaa' 4:36)

A true Muslim is the one who shows hospitality to the guest paying him a visit, a sign of respect and appreciation to the guest.

A prophetic hadith is to pinpoint this; doing kindness to neighbors: "Gabriel continued to recommend me about treating the neighbors kindly and politely so much so that I thought he would order me to make them as my heirs." (Al-Bukhari)

Such kindness to neighbors includes sharing their moments of happiness and sorrow, helping them at times of crisis, visiting them, inviting them to our houses, accepting their invitations, giving presents to them, etc. Lady Aisha narrated: “I said, ‘O God's messenger! I have two neighbors and would like to know to which of them I should give presents.’ He replied, ‘To the one whose door is nearer to you.’ (Al-Bukhari)

Another narration of the hadith suggests not harming neighbors instead of honoring them. This narration is supported by another hadith in which the Prophet observed: "He will not enter Paradise whose neighbor is not secure from his wrongful conduct."

Protecting neighbours and maintaining their honor and dignity are another aspect of kindness. To the Prophet, Abdullah ibn Masud said:

"O God's messenger! Which is the biggest sin?"

He said, "To set up rivals to God by worshipping others though He alone has created you."

I asked, "What is next?"

He said, "To kill your child lest it should share your food."

I asked, "What is next?"

He said, "To commit illegal sexual intercourse with the wife of your neighbor." (Al-Bukhari)

Honoring Guests

A third and last condition pertaining to believing in God and the Last Day is to honor the guest, as a true Muslim is the one who shows hospitality to those who visit him, a sign of respect, generosity and appreciation to the guest. And hospitality, it is not limited to serving them food and drinks; rather it is more than that; making them feel welcomed and not in any way a source of trouble or inconvenience.

The Prophet is reported to have said: "…. your guest has a right on…" (Al-Bukhari)

And on that point, after receiving the first revelation, the Prophet went home and told his wife, Lady Khadija (may God be pleased with her):

"I fear that something may happen to me."

Khadijah said, 'Never! But have the glad tidings, for by God, He will never disgrace you as you keep good reactions with your kith and kin, speak the truth, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guest generously and assist the deserving, calamity-afflicted ones." (Al-Bukhari)

Honoring guest was one the Prophet's many noble characters.

Who is the Strong Believer?

A believer is defined as the one who totally submits to the will of God and whose heart is full of God's love

Abu Hurayrah reported that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

"A strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak believer, while there is good in both.

Guard over that which benefits you, seek Allah's Assistance, and don't lend yourself to things devoid of benefit, and if something befalls you, then don't say 'If I only would have done such and such,' rather say 'Allah ordained this and He does what He wills' for verily the phrase 'If I would have' makes way for the work of the Devil." (Muslim)

In the above mentioned hadith, Prophet Muhammad gave the eloquent summary of the strong believer's characteristics; he provides the main valuable steps to become one. The believer is described in several verses in the Quran and in many hadiths. The main description of the believer appears in the following verse:

{The Bedouins say, ‘We believe’. Say: ‘You do not believe; but rather say: “We have submitted”; for faith has not yet entered into your hearts’} (Al-Hujurat 49: 14)

A person is not considered a believer until faith enters into his heart.

According to the Quran and Sunnah the believer is defined as the one who totally submits to the will of God and whose heart is full of God's love; the one who always remembers God and feels tranquility and relief when remembering God. Also a very important sign of the believer as shown in Prophet Muhammad’s hadith is his behavior and connection to others: "A person is not a (true) believer until he loves for others what he loves for himself." (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)

A strong believer considers seeking God's assistance as the main part of worship; he always depends on God in everything and every step

Central to the main hadith, Prophet Muhammad started with: "A strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak believer", meaning strong and weak in the level of faith and his attitude to carry out what God ordered him to do, but both types of believers are loved by God.

Then he continues to detail the conditions of the strong believer: "Guard over that which benefits you". A strong believer is avid for all what brings benefit to his life and mainly to the hereafter; he is the one who cautiously uses his time for what benefits him in this life and the next and shuns all things devoid of benefit. He knows that every second and every minute matters a lot, and that every day which passes won't come back, so he endeavors for all what benefits him. He guards his tongue from uttering bad words, lying and backbiting; he avoids forbidden places and acts; lowers his gaze; hypocrisy has no room in his heart…

A strong believer considers seeking God's assistance as the main part of worship; he always depends on God in everything and every step; he always refers his good deeds to God and deems his bad deeds to himself and Satan. Every act and deed he performs, he intends it for the sake of God only.

The Prophet taught us to always be optimistic, bright, with a positive mind and most importantly not to give up when striving to fulfill the rights of God. He once changed the name of a man who was called Hazan (sadness) to be named Sahl (easiness) as the hadith shows: "What is your name?" He said: "My name is Hazan." The Prophet said: "But you are Sahl." (Al-Bukhari). He changed the name that denotes sadness and pessimism to a positive and cheerful name. So the believer should be strong in his faith, health and mind.

Finally, a believer should be strong when facing calamities, hardships and matters that take place unwillingly in his private life. If for example a woman got married to a man, and after a year or two problems start to befall her matrimonial life, she says for example: “if I didn’t get married”, “if I continued my studies”, “if I had chosen to marry another man”… Here the Prophet ordered not to use such expressions because they open the gates to Satan’s whispers.

Instead the Prophet urged Muslims to keep forbearance and patience with the trials of destiny, as illustrated in another hadith: "How strange is the matter of a believer, there is good in all his affairs, and this is only for the believer. If something good happens to him and he is grateful, then this is good for him, and if a calamity befalls him and he is patient, then this is also good for him.” (Muslim)

Also the Quran, in many places, highlights verses of patience and submission to the will of God. For example God said addressing Prophet Muhammad: {And submit patiently to the judgment of your Lord, for surely you fare before Our eyes}(At-Tur 52: 48)

All in all, the strong believer as avowed in the above mentioned hadith is the one who guards over that which benefits him, who seeks God's aid, who doesn't lend himself to affairs devoid of benefit and believes firmly that what happens is from God's divine will.

more about Muhammad [sala Allah alih wa salam]

Bahira, the Monk When the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] was twelve years old, he went with his uncle Abu Talib on a business journey to Syria. When they reached Busra (which was a part of Syria, in the vicinity of Howran under the Roman domain) they met a monk called Bahira (his real name was Georges), who showed great kindness, and entertained them lavishly. He had never been in the habit of receiving or entertaining them before. He readily enough recognized the Prophet [pbuh] and said while taking his hand: "This is the master of all humans. Allâh will send him with a Message which will be a mercy to all beings." Abu Talib asked: "How do you know that?" He replied: "When you appeared from the direction of ‘Aqabah, all stones and trees prostrated themselves, which they never do except for a Prophet. I can recognize him also by the seal of Prophethood which is below his shoulder, like an apple. We have got to learn this from our books." He also asked Abu Talib to send the boy back to Makkah and not to take him to Syria for fear of the Jews. Abu Talib obeyed and sent him back to Makkah with some of his men servants. [Ibn Hisham 1/180-183; Za'd Al-Ma'ad 1/17]

The ‘Sacrilegious’ Wars Muhammad [pbuh] was hardly fifteen when the ‘sacrilegious’ wars — which continued with varying fortunes and considerable loss of human life for a number of years — broke out between Quraish and Banu Kinana on the one side and Qais ‘Ailan tribe on the other. It was thus called because the inviolables were made violable, the prohibited months being included. Harb bin Omaiyah, on account of his outstanding position and honourable descent, used to be the leader of Quraish and their allies. In one of those battles, the Prophet [pbuh] attended on his uncles but did not raise arms against their opponents. His efforts were confined to picking up the arrows of the enemy as they fell, and handing them over to his uncles. [Ibn Hisham 1/184-187; Qalb Jazeerat Al-Arab p.260]

Al-Fudoul Confederacy At the conclusion of these wars, when peace was restored, people felt the need for forming confederacy at Makkah for suppressing violence and injustice, and vindicating the rights of the weak and the destitute. Representatives of Banu Hashim, Banu Al-Muttalib, Asad bin ‘Abd Al-‘Uzza, Zahrah bin Kilab and Taim bin Murra were called to meet in the habitation of an honourable elderly man called ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an At-Taimy to enter into a confederacy that would provide for the above-mentioned items. The Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] shortly after he had been honoured with the ministry of Prophethood, witnessed this league and commented on it, with very positive words: "I witnessed a confederacy in the house of ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an. It was more appealing to me than herds of cattle. Even now in the period of Islam I would respond positively to attending such a meeting if I were invited." [Ibn Hisham 1/113,135] In fact, the spirit of this confederacy and the course of deliberations therein marked a complete departure from the pre-Islamic tribal-pride. The story that led to its convention says that a man from Zubaid clan came as a merchant to Makkah where he sold some commodities to Al-‘As bin Wail As-Sahmy. The latter by hook or by crook tried to evade paying for the goods. The salesman sought help from the different clans in Quraish but they paid no heed to his earnest pleas. He then resorted to a mountain top and began, at the top of his voice, to recite verses of complaint giving account of the injustices he sustained. Az-Zubair bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib heard of him and made inquiries into the matter. Consequently, the parties to the aforesaid confederacy convened their meeting and managed to force Az-Zubaidy’s money out of Al-‘As bin Wa’il. [Mukhtasar Seerat-ur-Rasool, p.30,31] http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/SM_tsn/ch1s6.html#His Birth