Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Asalam alaykum dear brother,

Jazakum lahu khaira. Your answers are very educative and also serve as eyes openiners. May Allah increase you in knowledge ( amin!!!)

My question is; A neighbour that is always looking for a way of cheating person, and also there nothing one would do to please him or her, always unhappy on seeing whatever good that is happening to her fellow neighbour. Can one neglect such a person because to me this an act of jealousy, lack of contentment, and am not happy with her as well. What can I do to erase her hatred from my heart. Pls Help even if it is inform of prayers.

May Almighty Allah guide you aright amin!!!

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Relationship with neighbors

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Dear and respected sister in Islam, one cannot over-emphasize the significance and importance of developing good and cordial relations with one’s neighbors in Islam…..

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.45 Narrated by Abu Shuraih

The Prophet (saws) said, "By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe!" It was asked, "Who is that, O Messenger of Allah (saws)?" He (saws) said, "That person whose neighbor does not feel safe from his evil." and in another narration the wordings are; “that person who sleeps with a bellyful and his neighbor sleeps hungry.”

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 311 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘The best friend in the Sight of Allah is he who is the well-wisher of his companions, and the best neighbor is one who behaves best towards his neighbors.’

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.44 Narrated by Abdullah Ibn Umar

Allah' Messenger (saws) said, "Jibrael (a.s.) kept on recommending me about treating the neighbors in a kind and polite manner, so much so that I thought that he would order (me) to make them (my) heirs!"

Your Question: A neighbour that is always looking for a way of cheating person, and also there nothing one would do to please him or her, always unhappy on seeing whatever good that is happening to her fellow neighbour. Can one neglect such a person because to me this an act of jealousy, lack of contentment, and am not happy with her as well. What can I do to erase her hatred from my heart. Pls Help even if it is inform of prayers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 13 Surah Ar-Raad verse 25:

As for those who break their covenant with Allah after confirming it, who cut asunder relationships which Allah has bidden to be joined, and spread chaos on the earth, their’s shall be the curse, and they shall have a wretched abode in the Hereafter.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Bakarah verse 27:

And He leads astray only those who disobey Allah, who break Allah’s covenant after ratifying it, who cut asunder relationships what Allah has ordered to be joined, and who produce chaos on the Earth. These are indeed the people who are the losers.

Respected sister in Islam, a believer who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day is duty bound unto their Lord to enjoin relations which Allah and His Messenger (saws) have commanded them to enjoin; ie. relationships of blood and relationship to one’s neighbors.

If one finds that one amongst those to whom Allah and His Messenger (saws) have commanded to develop and enjoin cordial relations is good and ‘straight’ in their relationship with them; it would be the duty of the believer to also be good and ‘straight’ in their relations with them………but if one finds that one amongst them is evil and ‘crooked’, and does not fulfill his/her share of the rights in the relationship; it would still be the duty of the believers to be good and ‘straight’ in their relations with them!

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.20 Narrated by Abdullah bin Amr

The Prophet (saws) said, "’Al-Wasil’ (the one who does good to his kith and kin) is not he who recompenses the good done to him by his kith and kin, but ‘Al-Wasil’ is he who keeps good relations with those kith and kin, who had severed the bond of kinship with him!"

Thus my beloved sister, regardless of whatever evil your neighbor might choose to do, you as one who fears Allah and the Last Day are duty bound to do good and strive your absolute utmost to develop and maintain good cordial relations with your neighbor….that would be akin to piety and righteousness on your part in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4992 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

A man said, "O Messenger of Allah (saws), such and such a woman has a reputation for engaging to a great extent in prayer, fasting and almsgiving but she annoys her neighbors with her tongue." He (saws) replied, "She will go to Hell Fire." He said, "O Messenger of Allah (saws), such and such a woman has a reputation for engaging to a small extent in fasting, almsgiving and prayer, but she gives pieces of curd as ‘sadaqah’ and does not annoy her neighbors with her tongue." He (saws) said, "She will go to Paradise."

Your Question: …..What can I do to erase her hatred from my heart. Pls Help even if it is inform of prayers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Haa-Meem verses 34-36:

34 Nor can goodness and evil (ever) be equal! Repel (evil) with what is best: then will he, between whom and you was hatred, become as it were thy (close) friend and intimate!

35 And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint; none but persons of the greatest good fortune.

36 And if (at any time) an incitement to discord is made to thee by the Shaytaan, seek refuge in Allah. He is the One Who Hears and Knows all things.

Dear and respected sister in Islam, absolutely regardless of the evil habits, manners, and the ill-doings of the said neighbor unto you, as a believer who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day, you should hold absolutely no grudge or ill-will in your heart against your neighbor….but rather, at every given opportunity you make sure that you respond to the evil done by them, by doing nothing but good towards them! If indeed your heart is sincere in wishing well unto your neighbor, and if indeed you practice patience, and if indeed you show forgiveness and forbearance towards every evil done unto you by your neighbor, and if indeed you truly respond to the evil done by them by doing good unto them….a time will come when this hatred in your (and their) hearts will turn into sincere friendship.

Neither is what you are guided by the Lord to do easy, nor do we say that it will be easy….and if ever the Shaytaan incites you to respond to the evil done by your neighbors in like evil manner, seek refuge in Allah from the avowed and accursed enemy of man, the Shaytaan…..it is expected that your Lord will guide you to do what is right and just.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan