The Kind Neighbour

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) always taught his companions to be kind and caring to their neighbours. He said that the angel Jibril kept reminding him about the rights of neighbours so much that he thought neighbours might even be given a share in inheritance. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 6014; Sahih Muslim, 2625) That is how important neighbours were in Islam. There is a well-known story about a woman who used to throw rubbish and thorns on the path where the Prophet (peace be upon him) walked every day. Each morning, as he passed by her house, he would find the mess she had left for him. But he never shouted at her. He never said an unkind word. He would simply move the rubbish aside and continue on his way with patience. Then one day, the Prophet (peace be upon him) walked past her house and the path was clean. There was no rubbish, no thorns — nothing. He stopped and thought about it. Instead of feeling happy that she had finally stopped, he became worried about her. He asked about her and found out that she was ill and lying in her bed. Without hesitation, the Prophet (peace be upon him) went to visit her. He knocked on her door, entered gently, and asked how she was feeling. He wished her well and offered his help. The woman was amazed. She had been so unkind to him, yet here he was, standing at her bedside, caring for her. His gentle kindness touched her heart deeply. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him not harm his neighbour." (Sahih al-Bukhari, 6018) He showed by his own example what it truly means to be a good neighbour.