Just as Allah has commanded the rights of parents, relatives, and brothers, in the same way there are rights of neighbors which are very necessary to follow in daily life. A neighbor is the one who lives in the house next to yours, just as if he is someone close to you. If the rights of neighbors are not fulfilled, if they are harmed or troubled, or if they are shown bad behavior, then even a person who offers many voluntary prayers and regular prayers can go to Hell.

That is why below we will mention some such rights of neighbors which are very important to follow in daily life.

Avoiding Disturance

The first and most important right of a neighbor, which is very necessary to know, is that no kind of harm, trouble, or disturbance should be given to him in any way. As we have already written in our previous posts, a person cannot remain in peace and comfort until, because of him, another person is harmed or troubled. This is Allah’s law of justice. That is why we should try that our neighbor does not face any worry or difficulty because of us, and that even a small feeling of hatred or bad thought should not come into his heart because of us.

Below are some points through which we can understand how to protect our neighbor from harm or trouble:

• Avoid playing loud music or songs, because this is a very big sin anyway, and it can also disturb the neighbor’s rest.
• Do not throw garbage or anything in front of your neighbor’s house that may hurt his feelings or cause him trouble.
• Do not park your car or motorcycle in front of your neighbor’s house in a way that causes him inconvenience.
• Going to the neighbor’s house all the time is also not good, because he may feel bad, so visits should be according to need only.

Sharing is Need

At number two, among the most important rights is this right: that we should share household items with our neighbor. Sharing these small things can, in difficult times, create love and affection for us in the neighbor’s heart. If at the time of need our neighbor requires any item, we should give it without hesitation, thinking that he is like our own brother or sister. If they desire something else, then as much as we can manage from our side, we should try to help.

Sharing daily food items with one another is a very good habit; through this, our relationship with the neighbor becomes strong. If they ask for something that we cannot fulfill, then we should politely and lovingly refuse, not with anger, scolding, or a harsh tone. In the same way, we should make sure from our side that we do not trouble our neighbor unnecessarily in any matter. Yes, asking a neighbor for help in times of real need is our right, but we should not make it a daily routine.

May Allah grant us the ability to act upon this. Ameen.

Greeting Regularly

The third and one of the most important rights is this great right: that we should meet our neighbor daily with love and affection, and maintain a relationship with them regularly. It should not be like meeting once a week or once a month and considering it enough. We should meet our neighbors daily, greet them with Salam, pray for their well-being, and ask about their condition—whether they are facing any difficulty or need anything.

The Noble Prophet ﷺ said that Jibraeel kept advising me so much about the neighbor and explaining his rights that I began to fear that Allah might make the neighbor a rightful heir in inheritance. From this Hadith, we understand that a neighbor is not an ordinary matter; fulfilling their rights is our responsibility.

Similarly, if the neighbor is not at home, we should protect their house. If they leave something in trust with us, we should take full care of that trust. We should participate in their grief and happiness and protect ourselves from causing them any displeasure. May Allah grant all of us the ability to fulfill the rights of our neighbors. Ameen.

Keeping Good Relations

Finally, one of the most important rights among all rights is this: that we should maintain good relations with our neighbors throughout our lives. As long as we live with them and they live with us, our relationship with them should remain good. How our relationship can stay good has already been explained in detail in the headings above.

There are many more rights of neighbors that we have not written, but the ones mentioned are the most important and basic, which every person can follow. We should also encourage our children and train them on how to treat neighbors, how to maintain relationships with them, how to avoid fights and arguments, how to keep good memories with them, and how not to cause them sadness.
May Allah grant all of us the ability to maintain good relations with our neighbors. Ameen.