Part 34

"Any Muslim frees a believing, male slave, he will be a salvation for him from the Hell-Fire. Every

organ of his will be expiation for his organs. Any Muslim who frees two believing slave girls, they will be a

salvation for him from the Hell-Fire. Every organ of theirs will be expiation for his organs. And any

Muslim woman who frees a believing slave girl, she will be a salvation for her from the Hell-Fire. Every

organ of hers will be an expiation for her organs." 1

In the two Sahihs, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"By Allah, he does not believe. By Allah, he does not believe. By Allah, he does not believe." Someone

asked, "Whom, O Messenger of Allah? And he said, "He whose neighbor is not safe from his evil conduct."

In another narration, it is reported that,

"The one whose neighbor is not safe from his evil conduct will not enter Paradise." 2

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was asked about the greatest of sins and he said,

"To ascribe a partner to Allah and He is the one who created you, to kill your son with fear of being fed

with you, and to commit fornication with the wife of your neighbor." 3

In another narration, it is reported that,

"The one who hurts his neighbor, does not believe in Allah, nor in the Last Day." 4

"Neighbors are of three kinds, a kin Muslim neighbor, he has the right of a neighbor, the right of Islam and

the right of kinship. The Muslim neighbor, he has the right of a neighbor and the right of Islam. And the

disbelieving neighbor, he has the right of a neighbor." 5

Ibn 'Arnr (may Allah be pleased with him) had a Jewish neighbor. Whenever he slaughtered sheep, he

used to say, "Carry some of it for our Jewish neighbor." 6

"On the Day of Judgment, the poor neighbor will hang himself on to the rich neighbor saying, 'O Lord!

Ask him why he deprived me of his charity and closed his door before me." 7

The neighbor should endure the evil conduct of his neighbor for it is a good treatment to him. A man

came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said,

"0 Messenger of Allah, teach me a deed which if I do it, I will enter Paradise. The Prophet said, "Deal with

good conduct". He asked, "How O Messenger of Allah? The Prophet said, 'Ask your neighbors, if they say

that you deal with good conduct, then you are as they said, and if they say that you deal in bad conduct,

then you are as they said." 8

The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said,

"Whoever shuts his door before his neighbor because of fear of him or his family and property, he is not a

Reported by AI-Bukhari in AI-Adab AI-Mufrad.

Reported by AI-Bukhari in AI-Adab AI-Mufrad.

Reported by AI-Hakim in AI-Mustadrak.

believer. And the one whose neighbor is not safe from his evil conduct is not also a believer." 1

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) also said,

"For a person, to commit fornication with ten women is lesser than to commit it with the wife of his

neighbor and to steal from ten houses is lesser than to steal from the house of his neighbor." 2

In Sunan Abu Dawud, Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that, "Once a man came

to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) complaining about his neighbor to him. The Prophet said,

"Go and be patient. He came again twice or thrice. Then the Prophet said, "Go and place your belongings

on the road." The man went and did that. The people passed by him asking him about his affairs. He told

them about his neighbor. The people cursed his neighbor saying, "May Allah cause him such and such and

supplicated on him. Thereupon his neighbor came to him and said, "0 my brother, come back to your house

and you will never see anything you hate again." 3

A person should endure the harms and hurts of his neighbor even if he was a Dhimi (none. Muslim living in

Muslim country). Sahl Ibn `Abdullah AtTustri (may Allah have mercy upon him) reported that, "He had a

Dhimi neighbor and from his water closet, there was a hole flowing into the house of Sahl. Sahl used to put

a vessel under this flowing hole until all rubbish gathered in it and threw it during the night to conceal

himself from the people. Sahl continued to do that for a long period until the time of his death come. He

sent for his magian neighbor and summoned him saying, "Enter this house and look into it. He entered and

saw the hole with rubbish flowing from it into the vessel and he said, what is this, which I see? Sahl said,

this is from a long period, I receive it during the day and threw it during the night. The time of my death has

come, and I fear that the manners of other people might not endure you, otherwise I would not tell you. So

do what do you see. The magian said, O an old man, you treat me in such a way from a long period and I

am still indulging in my disbelief? Stretch your hand to me, I testify that there is no god but Allah and that

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Then the soul of Sahl was taken.

Reported by AI-Bukhari in AI-Adab AI-Mufrad

53) Hurting or Reviling Muslims

{And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, bear (on themselves) a calumny and a

{O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: it may be that the (latter) are better than

the (former): nor let some women laugh at others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former):

nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nick names: ill-seeming is a

name connecting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: and those who do not desist are

(indeed) doing wrong.} (AI-Hujurat: 11)

Allah, the Almighty also said,

{And spy not on each other, nor speak ill of each other... } (AI-Hujurat: 12)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"On the Day of Judgment, the worst status will be for the one whom the people exclude because they fear

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) also said,

"O servants of Allah! Allah the Almighty has forbidden oppression against anyone except the one who tale

bears about the dignity of his brother. This is the one who committed injustice against himself or destroyed

In another hadith, it is reported that,

"The whole of a Muslim is sanctified for another Muslim with regards to his blood, his property and

"The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim. He does not oppress him, hang back from him, coming to his and

or belittle him, it is sufficiently wicked for someone to demean his fellow Muslim."4

"Insulting the Muslim is wickedness and fighting him is unbelief'. On the authority of Abu Hurairah (may

Allah be pleased with him) who said," The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was asked, "O Messenger of Allah,

so and so spends her nights praying, and her days fasting, she does so and so and gives in charity but there

is something in her tongue that maliciously injures her neighbors. He replied, there is no good in her, she

In another narration, it is reported that,

"Mention the good deeds of your dead and keep a way from their bad deeds."2

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"When I was taken up in the ascent (Mi'raj), I passed by people with fingernails of copper who were

scratching their faces and chests with them. I asked who are they, Gabriel? And he said, "They are

those who slandered others (ate people's flesh) and attacked their reputations."

Intimidation against instigation amongst the believers, animals and all kinds of beasts: the Prophet

(pbuh) is reported to have said,

"Satan has despaired of ever being worshipped in the land of the Arabs, but he is still hoping to instigate

Therefore, whoever instigates the sons of Adam against each other and spreads amongst them what

causes them harm, he is a tale bearer and he is among the people of the Satan who are the worst of

The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said,

"Will I tell you about the worst amongst you? The companions replied, 'Yes, Messenger of Allah.' He said,"

The worst amongst you are the talebearers, who instigate the friends against each other and who seek

In an authenticated hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is reported to have said,

"The talebearer will never enter Paradise."6

The talebearer is the one who transfers speech among people or between two friends in a way that

harms them or makes their hearts alienated towards each other. He said, such and such said about you so

and so and did so and so, unless it will be of a benefit or in his interests such as warning him against an evil

which may happen or is expected.

As for instigating animals, beasts or birds against each other, it is not allowed such as bickering among

cocks, bullfights among rams and instigating dogs against each other.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) prohibited such actions and whoever does it, he disobeys Allah and his

Messenger. Making the heart of the wife alienated towards her husband, or a servant towards his master,

Reported by Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak

Reported by AI-Baihaqi in Shu'ab AI-Iman.

Reported by AI-Bukhari in AI-Adab AI-Mufrad.

also comes under such evil doing. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is reported to have said,

"Whoever instigates the wife against her husband or a slave against his master is a cursed person." We

seek refuge in Allah from such doing."1

Invitation to make reconciliation amongst people Allah, the Almighty said,

{In most of their secret talks there is no good: but if one exhorts to a deed of charity or goodness or

reconciliation between people (secrecy is permissible): to him who does this, seeking the good pleasure of

Allah, we shall soon give a reward of the highest (value)} (An-Nisa': 114)