held accountable first. With regards to the fulfilment of rights, you will be questioned about your neighbours first.^[1]

Three good habits of people during the age of ignorance

Sulṭān al-mufassirīn Sayyidunā ʿAbdullah b. ʿAbbās رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا states: During the age of ignorance, people had three good habits. Muslims have a greater right of adopting these habits:

1.   Whenever a guest came to them, they would make great efforts in hosting and treating them well.

2.   Whenever someone’s wife grew old, the husband would never divorce her. Rather, he would stay with her and support her.

3.   If a neighbour was in debt or in a difficult situation, the people would try their best to pay off the debt or free him from difficulty.^[2]

O devotees of the Messenger! These were the habits of the people who lived in the era we call the age of ignorance. Nowadays, some foolish people seek to oppress their neighbour. They show jealously towards them if they achieve any success. Seeing their neighbour advance in life burns them to no end. Due to our lack of Islamic knowledge, we treat our neighbours worser than they would be treated in the age of ignorance. May Allah grant us guidance.

If only we could take the teachings of our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and instil them in our hearts. If only we sought Islamic knowledge and acted upon what we learned. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه If we do this, our society will become peaceful and united, and the blessings of brotherhood will become visible everywhere.