The neighbour has a right in Islam that is so strongly worded that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said Jibril kept advising him about the neighbour until he thought he would inherit, as in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Neighbours include Muslims and non-Muslims, the near door and the far door. This article explains those rights, how they apply in apartments and online groups, and how to repair harm. It is for learning, not a fatwa on a noisy-building lawsuit.
See brotherhood and akhlaq.
Who is a neighbour?
The scholars mentioned close neighbours and others in the surrounding homes. In a block of flats, people who share walls and lifts are neighbours. Do not limit the hadith to a village courtyard you do not live in.
Rights
Do not harm them with noise, smell, or danger. Greet. Share food when you can, even a little, as in the hadith of Abu Dharr in Sahih Muslim: do not belittle any gift. Visit when they are sick. Protect their honour. Do not spy. If they are poor, the right increases. If they are Muslim, they have the extra rights of iman. If they are not, they still have the right of not being wronged.
The Quran commands excellence to the near neighbour and the companion at your side (see Quran 4:36). A Muslim who prays tarawih and dumps rubbish at a neighbour’s door has not understood the night prayer.
Harm and patience
If a neighbour harms you, advise with gentleness. Then use lawful means: building rules, mediation, law where it does not contradict shari‘ah ethics. Do not poison, slander, or magic. Those are sins on top of a dispute.
Frequently asked questions
My neighbour is openly sinful. Do I still give food?
You may still be kind in worldly matters while you do not help the sin. Advise if it is safe and useful. Do not make the entire deen a boycott of a door you could have softened.
And Allah knows best.
Note: This article is for learning. It is not a personal fatwa.
