How to Treat Our Neighbours
How should we treat our neighbours?
Explore the strong rights Islam gives to neighbours, whatever their religion: avoiding harm, sharing food, caring when they are in need, and respectful relations with people of other beliefs.
Why it matters
In many cities people live metres apart for years without learning each other's names. Yet neighbours affect our daily lives more than almost anyone else: noise, safety, help in emergencies, and the simple feeling of belonging somewhere.
Islamic teaching gives neighbours a remarkably high status. This lesson explores why, and what it means in practice.
The teaching
Neighbours near and far
Qur'an 4:36 places kindness to neighbours in the same verse as worshipping God and being good to parents. It mentions 'the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away' and 'the companion at your side'.
Commentators have offered several interpretations of 'near' and 'farther away': nearness of the home, of kinship, or of religion. On every reading, both kinds of neighbour are owed kindness.
So important it seemed like inheritance
The Prophet said that the angel Gabriel kept urging him to treat neighbours well until he thought neighbours would be made heirs (Sahih al-Bukhari 6014). The emphasis is striking: neighbours are almost like family.
He also tied faith directly to neighbourliness. Swearing three times, he said that a person whose neighbour does not feel safe from their harm 'does not believe' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6016). Scholars explain this as describing incomplete faith, a serious warning rather than a ruling that the person has left Islam.
Neighbours of every faith
These rights are not limited to Muslim neighbours. When a sheep was slaughtered in the household of the Companion 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, he repeatedly asked whether some had been given to 'our neighbor, the Jew', citing the Prophet's teaching about neighbours (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1943).
This fits the Qur'an's broader principle in 60:8: God does not forbid being righteous and just towards those who do not fight Muslims because of religion or drive them from their homes. 'Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.'
Practical neighbourliness
The teaching is concrete: do not harm your neighbour, be generous to guests, and 'talk what is good or keep quiet' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6018). The Prophet also said: 'He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while his neighbor goes hungry' (Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 112, graded sahih by al-Albani).
Today this might mean keeping noise reasonable, checking on an elderly neighbour in a heatwave, sharing food at celebrations, accepting parcels, or simply learning names.
From the Qur'an
Each passage shows the Arabic text, an attributed English translation, and our explanatory note, kept visually separate.
Arabic text
۞وَٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُشۡرِكُواْ بِهِۦ شَيۡـٔٗاۖ وَبِٱلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَٰنٗا وَبِذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱلۡجَارِ ذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡجَارِ ٱلۡجُنُبِ وَٱلصَّاحِبِ بِٱلۡجَنۢبِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُكُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخۡتَالٗا فَخُورًا36
Translation · Saheeh International
36Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
Kindness to neighbours is placed alongside worship of God and kindness to parents, relatives, orphans and the needy.
Differences of interpretation and context
Classical commentators gave different explanations of 'the near neighbor' and 'the neighbor farther away' (physical distance, kinship or religion). All agree that both are owed good treatment.
Arabic text
لَّا يَنۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يُقَٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِي ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمۡ يُخۡرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمۡ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمۡ وَتُقۡسِطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَ8
Translation · Saheeh International
8Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
Righteousness and justice towards people of other beliefs who are not hostile are explicitly permitted and loved by God.
Arabic text
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٖ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ شُعُوبٗا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ أَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتۡقَىٰكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٞ13
Translation · Saheeh International
13O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
Human diversity exists 'that you may know one another'. Nobility is measured by righteousness, not origin.
From the hadith
Hadith are reports of the Prophet Muhammad's words and actions. Each one below shows its collection, reference number and grading, with the authority that graded it.
Narrated `Aisha:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said "Gabriel continued to recommend me about treating the neighbors Kindly and politely so much so that I thought he would order me to make them as my heirs.
Why it matters here
The Prophet was urged so often about neighbours that he thought they would inherit.
Source, grading and translation details
- Collection
- Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 6014 (Book 78, Hadith 45)
- Numbering
- Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi numbering, as used on sunnah.com
- Grade
- Sahih: Included in Sahih al-Bukhari, a collection accepted as authentic (sahih) by Sunni hadith scholarship
- Translation
- Muhammad Muhsin Khan (English translation as published on sunnah.com)
- Checked
- sunnah.com English dataset (offline copy in the `hadith` npm package v1.3.0): wording, number, in-book reference and grade, on 2026-10-09
Narrated Abu Shuraih:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe!" It was said, "Who is that, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ?" He said, "That person whose neighbor does not feel safe from his evil."
Why it matters here
Faith is connected to neighbours feeling safe from one's harm.
Source, grading and translation details
- Collection
- Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 6016 (Book 78, Hadith 47)
- Numbering
- Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi numbering, as used on sunnah.com
- Grade
- Sahih: Included in Sahih al-Bukhari, a collection accepted as authentic (sahih) by Sunni hadith scholarship
- Translation
- Muhammad Muhsin Khan (English translation as published on sunnah.com)
- Checked
- sunnah.com English dataset (offline copy in the `hadith` npm package v1.3.0): wording, number, in-book reference and grade, on 2026-10-09
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Anybody who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not harm his neighbor, and anybody who believes in Allah and the Last Day should entertain his guest generously and anybody who believes in Allah and the Last Day should talk what is good or keep quiet. (i.e. abstain from all kinds of evil and dirty talk).
Why it matters here
Do not harm your neighbour; honour your guest; speak well or stay silent.
Source, grading and translation details
- Collection
- Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 6018 (Book 78, Hadith 49)
- Numbering
- Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi numbering, as used on sunnah.com
- Grade
- Sahih: Included in Sahih al-Bukhari, a collection accepted as authentic (sahih) by Sunni hadith scholarship
- Translation
- Muhammad Muhsin Khan (English translation as published on sunnah.com)
- Checked
- sunnah.com English dataset (offline copy in the `hadith` npm package v1.3.0): wording, number, in-book reference and grade, on 2026-10-09
- Editorial note
- The bracketed clarification was added by the translator.
Mujahid narrated:
"Abdullah bin Amr had a sheep slaughtered for his family, so when he came he said: 'Have you given some to our neighbor, the Jew? Have you given some to our neighbor, the Jew? I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: 'Jibril continued to advise me about (treating) the neighbors so (kindly and politely), that I thought he would order me (from Allah) to make them heirs."
Why it matters here
A Companion applied the teaching to his Jewish neighbour.
Source, grading and translation details
- Collection
- Jami` at-Tirmidhi, no. 1943 (Book 27, Hadith 49)
- Numbering
- Ahmad Shakir / 'Abd al-Baqi numbering, as used on sunnah.com
- Grade
- Sahih: Darussalam
- Translation
- Darussalam English edition, as published on sunnah.com
- Checked
- sunnah.com English dataset (offline copy in the `hadith` npm package v1.3.0): wording, number, in-book reference and grade, on 2026-10-09
Ibn 'Abbas (named within the text):
Ibn 'Abbas informed Ibn az-Zubayr, "I heard the Prophet, (ﷺ), say, 'He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while his neighbor goes hungry.'"
Why it matters here
One cannot be indifferent while a neighbour goes hungry.
Source, grading and translation details
- Collection
- Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, no. 112 (Book 6, Hadith 0)
- Numbering
- Numbering as used on sunnah.com
- Grade
- Sahih: Al-Albani
- Translation
- English translation as published on sunnah.com
- Checked
- sunnah.com English dataset (offline copy in the `hadith` npm package v1.3.0): wording, number, in-book reference and grade, on 2026-10-09
Context and key terms
Arabic terms in this lesson (3)
Jar
جار
Neighbour
A neighbour. Islamic teaching gives neighbours strong rights, whatever their religion.
Ihsan
إحسان
Excellence; doing good beautifully
Going beyond the minimum: doing things well, with care and kindness, as though conscious that God sees you.
Rahmah
رحمة
Mercy; compassion
Compassion that seeks the good of others. Two names of God at the opening of the Qur'an, ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim, come from the same root.
Who counts as a neighbour?
Scholars discussed how far 'neighbour' extends, with various opinions. In practice, the people whose lives yours most directly affects (next door, across the corridor, in your street) are the clearest case.
'He does not believe'
Statements like 'he does not believe' in hadith are understood by mainstream scholars to mean that faith is incomplete or deficient, not that the person has left Islam. They are strong encouragement, and should not be used to judge other people.
Everyday example
Illustrative story (fictional)
The new family on the third floor
When a refugee family moved into Sami's block of flats, a few residents complained about the cooking smells and the children's noise. Sami remembered the hadith about neighbours and knocked with a box of sweets and his phone number.
Over the following months he helped them register with a doctor, and they taught his children to cook a dish from their home country. When Sami was ill in winter, it was their eldest son who carried his shopping upstairs.
Good neighbourliness starts with small, deliberate acts and often comes back in ways we never planned.
Activity
Scenario challenge
Helping a neighbour
Your elderly neighbour, who is not Muslim and lives alone, has not collected her post for three days. Her curtains are still closed.
What would you do?
Knowledge check
Answer each question to see an explanation. You can retry as many times as you like; nothing is graded.
Reflection
Try it in practice
A small act for a neighbour
- 1Learn the name of one neighbour you do not yet know.
- 2Offer one practical kindness this week: share food, help carry something, or simply check in.
- 3Think about whether anything you do (noise, parking, rubbish) might be a source of harm, and adjust it.
This is also available as an optional daily practice: Help someone.
Sources and further reading
Primary sources cited
- Qur'an 4:36 (Surah An-Nisa). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Qur'an 60:8 (Surah Al-Mumtahanah). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Qur'an 49:13 (Surah Al-Hujurat). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 6014, graded Sahih (Sahih collection). Sunnah.com (opens in a new tab)
- Sahih al-Bukhari 6016, graded Sahih (Sahih collection). Sunnah.com (opens in a new tab)
- Sahih al-Bukhari 6018, graded Sahih (Sahih collection). Sunnah.com (opens in a new tab)
- Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1943, graded Sahih (Darussalam). Sunnah.com (opens in a new tab)
- Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 112, graded Sahih (Al-Albani). Sunnah.com (opens in a new tab)
Further reading
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Good Manners (Adab) (opens in a new tab) · Sunnah.com
Contains many of the hadith on neighbours.
- Qur'an 4:36 in context (opens in a new tab) · Quran.com
The verse on kindness to parents, relatives and neighbours.
This lesson is educational and is not a fatwa (religious ruling). For personal religious questions, please consult a qualified scholar you trust. How we source and review lessons.
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