The honourable Companions عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ asked, “O Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ! Who cannot be a believer?”, to which he replied, اَلَّذِیْ لَا یَاْمَنُ جَارُہٗ بَوَائِقَہٗ - “He whose neighbour is not safe from his evil.”^[1]

A woman who would worship abundantly yet hurt her neighbours

As narrated by Imam Bukhāri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه:

The Companions عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ once said, “O Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ! So-and-so woman spends the night in worship, fasts during the day, is very pious and gives much charity, but she causes harm to her neighbours with her tongue.” The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ہِیَ مِنْ اَہْلِ النَّارِ لَا خَیْرَ فِیْہا - “There is no good in her; she is from the people of Hellfire.”

The Companions عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ then said, “Another woman offers obligatory salah, gives cheese in charity and does not cause anyone harm.” The final Prophet of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared, ہِیَ مِنْ اَہْلِ الْجَنَّۃِ - “She is from the people of Paradise.”^[2]

O devotees of the Messenger! We are in need of contemplating this hadith over and over again. Just think of how much loss a person suffers by bringing harm or difficulty to his neighbour. Sadly, we do not pay attention to this issue in the slightest. Some people throw their rubbish on their neighbour’s doorstep. Some cause disturbances late in the night. Loud noises can be heard from their homes, but they do not care if it disturbs their neighbours. If a wedding ceremony takes place, it is almost as if sleeping has become haram for surrounding neighbours. Not