The Qur’an goes further with the more specific injunction to “(Be good to) …the neighbour who is a kinsman, and the neighbour who is not related to you and your companions and the wayfarer…” (4:36).
This means that it is incumbent upon us to behave well towards all kinds of neighbours, whether they are permanent residents of the neighbourhood, or are only living there temporarily for the purposes of education, business or travel, etc. Wherever one is living in close proximity to others, one must feel obliged to observe their rights as human being. No one should be the cause of trouble to his neighbour. On separate occasion, the Prophet observed, “One who believes in God should not give trouble to his neighbour” and “one who believes in God should accord due respect to his neighbours” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith Nos. 6018, 6019). As an individual, therefore, a Muslim must be a good neighbour, while, on the larger scale of the community, Muslims should prove to be good neighbours at the national level as well.
The Prophet, again on two separate occasions, thus defined the essence of good neighbourliness: “By God, a person cannot be a believer (that is, a Muslim) until and unless he likes for his neighbours and for his brother what he likes for himself.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 45), “A person from whose evils his neighbour is not safe will not go to heaven.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 46)
Source: Simple Wisdom
