Rights of Neighbors

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لِي جَارٌ يُؤْذِينِي فَقَالَ ارْحَمْهُ فَقُلْتُ لَا رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فَصَرَفَ وَجْهَهُ عَنِّي قَالَ فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَدَعَهُ فَقُلْتُ يَفْعَلُ بِي كَذَا وَ كَذَا وَ يَفْعَلُ بِي وَ يُؤْذِينِي فَقَالَ أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَاشَفْتَهُ انْتَصَفْتَ مِنْهُ‌[1] فَقُلْتُ بَلَى أُرْبِي عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ ذَا مِمَّنْ يَحْسُدُ النَّاسَ عَلى‌ ما آتاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ‌

“Once I went in the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) and said to him, ‘My neighbor causes me suffering.’ The Imam said, ‘Be kind to him.’ I said, ‘I wish Allah will not grant him any kindness.’ The Imam turned away from me and I did not like to leave him and I said, ‘He does this and that to me and keeps causing me to

قَرَأْتُ فِي كِتَابِ عَلِيٍّ ع أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص كَتَبَ بَيْنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَ الْأَنْصَارِ وَ مَنْ لَحِقَ بِهِمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ يَثْرِبَ أَنَّ الْجَارَ كَالنَّفْسِ غَيْرَ مُضَارٍّ وَ لَا آثِمٍ وَ حُرْمَةُ الْجَارِ عَلَى الْجَارِ كَحُرْمَةِ أُمِّهِ الْحَدِيثُ مُخْتَصَرٌ[2].

“I have read in the book of Ali (a.s.) that the Messenger of Allah wrote (and got it signed) for the people of Ansar and Muhajirin and people related to them from Yathrib: ‘The neighbor is like one’s soul that cannot be harmed or made to sin. The respect for the neighbor is like the respect for one’s mother.’ This is t

حُسْنُ الْجِوَارِ يَزِيدُ فِي الرِّزْقِ.

“Maintaining good neighborly relations increases one’s sustenance.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ يَعْقُوبَ ع لَمَّا ذَهَبَ مِنْهُ بِنْيَامِينُ نَادَى يَا رَبِّ أَ مَا تَرْحَمُنِي أَذْهَبْتَ عَيْنَيَّ وَ أَذْهَبْتَ ابْنَيَّ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى لَوْ أَمَتُّهُمَا لَأَحْيَيْتُهُمَا لَكَ حَتَّى أَجْمَعَ بَيْنَكَ وَ بَيْنَهُمَا وَ لَكِنْ تَذْكُرُ الشَّاةَ الَّتِي ذَبَحْتَهَا وَ شَوَيْتَهَا وَ أَكَلْتَ وَ فُلَانٌ وَ فُلَانٌ إِلَى جَانِبِكَ صَائِمٌ لَمْ

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘When Benjamin also was taken away from Jacob, he pleaded before Allah for help, saying, “Have mercy on me. You have taken away my eyesight and my son.” Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, sent him inspiration, “Even if I will cause them to die I will give them life again for y

فَكَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ يَعْقُوبُ ع يُنَادِي مُنَادِيهِ كُلَّ غَدَاةٍ مِنْ مَنْزِلِهِ عَلَى فَرْسَخٍ أَلَا مَنْ أَرَادَ الْغَدَاءَ فَلْيَأْتِ إِلَى يَعْقُوبَ وَ إِذَا أَمْسَى نَادَى أَلَا مَنْ أَرَادَ الْعَشَاءَ فَلْيَأْتِ إِلَى يَعْقُوبَ.

“Whoever needs food, come to the house of Jacob” and in the evening also would announce, ‘Whoever needs dinner come to the house of Jacob.’”

جَاءَتْ فَاطِمَةُ ع تَشْكُو إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص بَعْضَ أَمْرِهَا فَأَعْطَاهَا- رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص كُرَيْسَةً[1] وَ قَالَ تَعَلَّمِي مَا فِيهَا فَإِذَا فِيهَا مَنْ كانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَ الْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلَا يُؤْذِي جَارَهُ وَ مَنْ كانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَ الْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ وَ مَنْ كانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَ الْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْراً أَوْ لِيَسْكُتْ.

“Once Fatimah (a.s.) came to the Messenger of Allah and complained about certain matters. The Messenger of Allah gave her a tablet to read. It was written on the tablet: ‘Whoever believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment must not cause suffering to his neighbor. Whoever believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment must tr

قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ حُسْنُ الْجِوَارِ زِيَادَةٌ فِي الْأَعْمَارِ وَ عِمَارَةُ الدِّيَارِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) once said to me, ‘Maintaining good neighborly relations increases one’s life span and the development of the country.”’

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ حُسْنُ الْجِوَارِ يَعْمُرُ الدِّيَارَ وَ يَزِيدُ فِي الْأَعْمَارِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Maintaining good neighborly relations increases the development of the country and one’s life span.’”

قَالَ: لَيْسَ حُسْنُ الْجِوَارِ كَفَّ الْأَذَى وَ لَكِنَّ حُسْنَ الْجِوَارِ صَبْرُكَ عَلَى الْأَذَى.

“Not to cause suffering to neighbors is not a good neighborly relation, however, to be a good neighbor and to exercise patience in suffering (caused by the neighbors) is a good neighborly relations.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ حُسْنُ الْجِوَارِ يَعْمُرُ الدِّيَارَ وَ يُنْسِئُ فِي الْأَعْمَارِ.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Maintaining good neighborly relations develops the country and extends one’s lifespan.”

قَالَ وَ الْبَيْتُ غَاصٌّ بِأَهْلِهِ‌[1] اعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ لَمْ يُحْسِنْ مُجَاوَرَةَ مَنْ جَاوَرَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) once speaking to the people who had filled up his house said, ‘You must take notice that those who fail to maintain good relations with their neighbors are not of our people and followers.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ الْمُؤْمِنُ مَنْ آمَنَ جَارُهُ بَوَائِقَهُ قُلْتُ وَ مَا بَوَائِقُهُ قَالَ ظُلْمُهُ وَ غَشْمُهُ‌[2].

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘A believing person is one whose neighbors are safe from his bawa’iq, I then asked, ‘What is bawa’iq ,’ The Imam said, ‘His injustice and transgressions.’”

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ص فَشَكَا إِلَيْهِ أَذًى مِنْ جَارِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص اصْبِرْ ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ ثَانِيَةً فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ص اصْبِرْ ثُمَّ عَادَ إِلَيْهِ فَشَكَاهُ ثَالِثَةً فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص لِلرَّجُلِ الَّذِي شَكَا إِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَ رَوَاحِ النَّاسِ إِلَى الْجُمُعَةِ فَأَخْرِجْ مَتَاعَكَ إِلَى الطَّرِيقِ حَتَّى يَرَاهُ مَنْ يَرُوحُ إِلَى الْجُمُعَةِ فَإِذَا سَأَلُوكَ فَأَخْبِرْهُ

“Once a man came to the Holy Prophet and complained against his neighbor. The Messenger of Allah said to him, ‘Bear patience.’ The man came the second time. The Holy Prophet said, ‘Bear patience.’ The man came the third time. The Holy Prophet said to him, ‘On Friday when people go to the Mosque take your belongings out

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَا آمَنَ بِي مَنْ بَاتَ شَبْعَانَ وَ جَارُهُ جَائِعٌ قَالَ وَ مَا مِنْ أَهْلِ قَرْيَةٍ يَبِيتُ وَ فِيهِمْ جَائِعٌ يَنْظُرُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘One who spends the night with his stomach full while his neighbor is hungry does not believe in me. Any (people of the town) who sleep at night with their stomachs full while among them are hungry people, to such people, on the Day of Judgment, Allah will not look with kindness.’”

مِنَ الْقَوَاصِمِ الْفَوَاقِرِ الَّتِي تَقْصِمُ الظَّهْرَ جَارُ السَّوْءِ إِنْ رَأَى حَسَنَةً أَخْفَاهَا وَ إِنْ رَأَى سَيِّئَةً أَفْشَاهَا.

“Of the back-breaking misfortunes, one is a bad neighbor who hides all good things about his neighbor and publicizes all the bad things about him.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ جَارِ السَّوْءِ فِي دَارِ إِقَامَةٍ تَرَاكَ عَيْنَاهُ وَ يَرْعَاكَ قَلْبُهُ إِنْ رَآكَ بِخَيْرٍ سَاءَهُ وَ إِنْ رَآكَ بِشَرٍّ سَرَّهُ.

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘I seek protection with Allah against a bad neighbor of a residence. The neighbor whose eye sees you and whose heart is against you. When he observes a good thing it disappoints him and if he sees a bad thing he becomes happy.’”