Every Muslim believes that all humankind is descended from Adam and Eve and we are thus brothers and sisters regardless of our faith, race and socio-economic status.
No one can claim any superiority over another except in the field of “Taqwa” piety or God fearing and consciousness.
The understanding that we all depend on each other in this world to make a good society makes it compelling for one to want to know more about our bond and how we must relate to each other.
The Holy Quran directs that “Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good – to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the Companion by your side, the wayfarer [you meet], and what your right hands possess: For Allah loveth not the arrogant, the vainglorious” (Quran 4:36).
The Prophet of Islam, our Leader Mohammad (SAW) said: “Angel Jibril advised me continuously to take care of the neighbor till I thought that Allah is to make him an inheritor.” Muslim.
It is very essential to establish a good relationship with your neighbors at all times as the benefits to be derived are enormous.
“He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while his neighbour goes hungry.” Thabrani.
Prophet Muhammed (SAW) used to share, with his Jew neighbour, the meat of a ram or goat he slaughtered during the Eidul Adlha.
Neighbours are people or individuals with whom you share some things in common in an area or community or they are people who live near you.
They are very key in one’s development as they assist each other in the provision of some facilities, security, affection and care within the community or neighborhood.
For instance, neighbours undertake communal activities such as desilting of gutters, clearing of weeds, patching of roads, providing security, and other needed projects, socialisation and positive relationship.
We must find a way to live peacefully with neighbors and make sure we participate in activities that will bring about positive and productive change to our neighborhood.
When Prophet Mohammad (SAW) arrived in Medina to settle one of the first things he did was to invite the Jews, Christians and other faith groups in Madina to sign a peace pact with them and some of the terms included security guarantees for one another, joining hands as one force to fight an outsider when any of them is invaded which translates into an attack on one means attack on all. Support to one another and freedom for all to practice their religions of choice without any hindrance.
We must try to be assets to our neighbours and disown any conflict or dispute in our neighborhood. We must find ways to Champion a positive cause to be game-changers and proactive neighbors.
It is for this reasons that we champion a course for tolerance, peacebuilding, peaceful relationship and support to our neighbours regardless of their religions and socio-economic status.
We are thus happy to share the general rights of our neighbours as adopted by majority of Muslim scholars globally:
• To greet him/her when you meet him/her.
• To ask about him/her.
• To visit him/her when they are sick.
• To console him/her when he/she is afflicted with calamity.
• To condole him/her when any of his/her relatives passes away.
• To congratulate him/ her on happy occasions.
• To share him/her his/ her joys and pains.
• To forgive him/her when he/she does wrong to you.
• To keep away from infringing on his/her privacy.
• To guide him/her to what he/she is ignorant about.
• To lower your gaze from his/her female household.
• Not to bother him/ her in any way; for example by putting dirty stuff in front of his/her home.
We are, in the spirit of good neighbourliness, encouraging our brethren to redirect the loud speakers of our mosques and churches from the close houses of our neighbours of different religions or lower it during the dawn prayers. It does not take the shine away, harms or reduces anything in our practices of our dear religion Islam when we do that.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said “Whoever believes in Allah and the last day should do well to his neighbour”, (Muslim).
We must not create any unnecessary tension and inconveniences to our neighbours.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said in one of His hadith: “One who believes in Allah (the Glorified and the Exalted) and the Day of Judgment must not cause hardship and inconvenience to his neighbor; and he who believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment must respect his guest; and he who believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment must speak well or keep quiet”. (Bukhari)
The writer is an Eminent Member and Chairman of the Finance and Fundraising Committee of the Greater Accra Regional Peace Council of the National Peace Council of Ghana.
Ahmed Osumanu Halid, Communication, Political and ADR Consultant and Practioner.
BY ALHAJ KHUZAIMA MOHAMMED OSMAN
