--- title: "How Does Islam Teach Us to Treat Our Neighbours? | Islam Is Mercy" description: "Islam gives neighbours — Muslim or not — strong rights to kindness, gifts and safety from harm, so much that Gabriel kept advising the Prophet ﷺ about them." lang: en url: https://islamismercy.com/en/views/neighbours-in-islam/ --- 1. [Home](https://islamismercy.com/en/) 2. [Islam's View On…](https://islamismercy.com/en/views/) 3. How Does Islam Teach Us to Treat Our Neighbours? # How Does Islam Teach Us to Treat Our Neighbours? Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 3 min readAwaiting scholar review ## The short answer Islam makes kindness to neighbours part of faith itself. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that the angel Gabriel kept urging him to treat neighbours well until he thought neighbours would be made heirs, and he taught that a person whose neighbour is not safe from their harm does not truly believe. This applies to every neighbour, whatever their religion. ## On this page 1. A command in the Qur’an 2. Gabriel’s repeated advice 3. Faith that keeps others safe 4. Neighbours of every faith 5. Small gifts, big meaning 6. A closing thought In many modern cities, people can live next door to someone for years without learning their name. Islam treats this closeness very differently: the person who lives beside you has rights over you, and how you treat them is a test of your faith. ## A command in the Qur’an In one verse, the [Qur’an](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/quran/) lists the people a believer must treat with excellence, right after the command to worship God alone: > ۞ وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِهِۦ شَيْـًۭٔا ۖ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَٰنًۭا وَبِذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱلْجَارِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْجَارِ ٱلْجُنُبِ وَٱلصَّاحِبِ بِٱلْجَنۢبِ وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالًۭا فَخُورًا ﴿٣٦﴾ > Worship 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. [Qur'an, An-Nisaa 4:36](https://quran.com/4?startingVerse=36&translations=20)Saheeh International Notice the two kinds of neighbour: the one who is near and the one who is farther away. Classical commentators explained these in several ways — a neighbour who is a relative and one who is not, or the one whose door is closest and the one further down the street. Either way, the circle is wide. The verse even mentions the companion at your side, whom many scholars understood to include a fellow traveller, a colleague or anyone who shares part of your day. ## Gabriel’s repeated advice The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ described how often the angel Gabriel (Jibril) returned to this subject: > 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 [Sahih al-Bukhari 6014](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=continued%20to%20recommend%20me%20about)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih al-Bukhari) In Islamic law, inheritance goes to close family. For the Prophet ﷺ to think that neighbours might be added to them shows how highly God values this bond. ## Faith that keeps others safe The Prophet ﷺ tied a believer’s faith directly to the safety and comfort of the people next door. In one striking moment he swore three times: > 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 [Sahih al-Bukhari 6016](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=person%20whose%20neighbor%20does%20not)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih al-Bukhari) The Arabic word he used refers to harms and misdeeds of every kind: noise late at night, gossip, blocking someone’s way, spying, or simply making a person feel unwelcome. In another [hadith](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/hadith/) he said that whoever believes in God and the Last Day should not harm their neighbour ([Sahih](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/sahih/) al-Bukhari 6018). Muslim scholars note that it is not enough to avoid harm; a believer should also put up patiently with a neighbour’s minor annoyances. He also set a high standard for the heart, measuring faith by what we wish for the people around us: > It is narrated on the authority of Anas that the Prophet (may peace blessings be upon him) observed:By Him in whose Hand is my life, no, bondsman (truly) believes till he likes for his neighbour, or he (the Holy Prophet) said: for his brother, whatever he likes for himself [Sahih Muslim 171](https://sunnah.com/muslim/1#:~:text=of%20Anas%20that%20the%20Prophet)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih Muslim) ## Neighbours of every faith These rights are not limited to Muslims. One of the Prophet’s companions, Abdullah ibn Amr, once had a sheep slaughtered for his family. When he came home, his first question was whether they had sent some to their Jewish neighbour — and he explained why: > 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 [Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1943](https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/27#:~:text=so%20when%20he%20came%20he)Grade: Sahih — Al-Albani For a Muslim, the family next door — Christian, Jewish, Hindu, atheist or anything else — is owed honesty, generosity and protection from harm. A neighbour who is also a relative has the added rights of family, but no neighbour has fewer rights than these. See also [how Islam teaches Muslims to treat people of other faiths](https://islamismercy.com/en/views/non-muslims-in-islam/). ## Small gifts, big meaning Islam’s teachings about neighbours are wonderfully practical. The Prophet ﷺ told the women of his community never to look down on a gift to a neighbour, even if it is only a sheep’s trotter (Sahih al-Bukhari 6017). When his wife Aisha asked which of her two neighbours should receive her gift first, he answered: > Narrated \`Aisha: I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have two neighbors! To whom shall I send my gifts?" He said, "To the one whose gate in nearer to you [Sahih al-Bukhari 6020](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=To%20whom%20shall%20I%20send)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih al-Bukhari) The point of these teachings is not the size of the gift but the habit of thinking about the people next door. A small dish sent regularly builds more trust than an expensive present given once. Scholars also note that the nearest door comes first simply because the nearest neighbour sees what is cooked, hears what happens and is most likely to need help quickly. In everyday life this might mean sharing food at [Ramadan](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/ramadan/) or [Eid](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/eid/), checking on an elderly neighbour in winter, keeping noise down, helping with shopping when someone is ill, or simply greeting people warmly. None of it is complicated; all of it counts. ## A closing thought A neighbourhood where people look after each other is a small picture of the society Islam hopes to build. If you have a Muslim neighbour, you may find a plate of food at your door one day — now you know why. To learn more about the character Islam aims to build, read [good character in Islam](https://islamismercy.com/en/views/good-character-in-islam/). ![How Does Islam Teach Us to Treat Our Neighbours?](https://islamismercy.com/_astro/neighbours-in-islam-info.D8-bi7DE_eWacG.jpg) ## Key takeaways - The Qur'an commands good treatment of neighbours near and far. - Gabriel repeatedly urged the Prophet ﷺ to honour neighbours. - Harming a neighbour is a sign of weak faith. - Neighbours of other faiths share these rights. - Small, regular kindnesses — a plate of food, a greeting — matter a great deal. ## Share this article [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=How%20Does%20Islam%20Teach%20Us%20to%20Treat%20Our%20Neighbours%3F%20https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fviews%2Fneighbours-in-islam%2F)[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fviews%2Fneighbours-in-islam%2F&text=How%20Does%20Islam%20Teach%20Us%20to%20Treat%20Our%20Neighbours%3F)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=How%20Does%20Islam%20Teach%20Us%20to%20Treat%20Our%20Neighbours%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fviews%2Fneighbours-in-islam%2F)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fviews%2Fneighbours-in-islam%2F) ## Sources - [Qur'an, An-Nisaa 4:36](https://quran.com/4?startingVerse=36&translations=20) - [Sahih al-Bukhari 6014](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=continued%20to%20recommend%20me%20about) - [Sahih al-Bukhari 6016](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=person%20whose%20neighbor%20does%20not) - [Sahih Muslim 171](https://sunnah.com/muslim/1#:~:text=of%20Anas%20that%20the%20Prophet) - [Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1943](https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/27#:~:text=so%20when%20he%20came%20he) - [Sahih al-Bukhari 6020](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=To%20whom%20shall%20I%20send) ## Talk to a Muslim Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask a real person — no pressure, no judgement. [Ask your question](https://islamismercy.com/en/talk/) ## Keep reading [Islam's View On… ### Why Is Good Character So Important in Islam? Honesty, kindness, patience and humility are at the heart of Islam. The Prophet ﷺ taught that the best people are those with the best character. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/views/good-character-in-islam/)[Islam's View On… ### How Should Muslims Treat Non-Muslims? The Qur'an tells Muslims to be kind and just to peaceful people of other faiths, and Islamic law gave non-Muslims under its rule a covenant of protection. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/views/non-muslims-in-islam/)[Islam's View On… ### What Does Islam Say About Human Rights? Islam teaches that every human being has God-given dignity, and that life, property and honour are sacred — principles set out in the Qur'an and Sunnah. 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