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Friday Talks |
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Friday Talks |
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Treat your neighbour in kindness.
Written by: Sk Abd-Razzag Taher Farih
Translated by: Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa
13
April 201827 Rajab 1439.
Dearly beloved,
One day the prophet ppbu sat down and asked his companions: {Who would take a few words from me and he would follow them or teach others to follow them?} Abu-Huraira said: I will, O messenger of Allah. The messenger then took Abu-Huraira’s hand and counted to five, then said: {Avoid; and be fearful of the forbidden; then you would be the most devout of all people. And accept and be satisfied with what Allah Has pre-determined for you then you would be the richest of all people. And treat well your neighbour then you will be a true believer (or a true person of faith). And love for all people what you would love for yourself then you would be a Muslim. And do not laugh far too much. For too much laughter kills off the heart}. This was the advice that the first teacher (ppbu) gave the brightest student Abi-Hurairah God be pleased with him. His advice for Abi-Hurairah is an advice for the entire nation. That is because the essence is in the general intended meaning and scope rather than by the specific reason or specific target of the word.
We, on this Friday, talk about the third part of this great advice: “treat well your neighbour then you will be a true believer”. A neighbour has tremendous rights that you must respect as your obligations. If the neighbour is also a relative of yours, and also a Muslim then the neighbour has three full rights. They are the right of being a neighbour, and the right of being a Muslim and the right of being a relative. If the neighbour is a Muslim but not a relative then his has two rights. The right of being a neighbour and the right of being a Muslim. Similarly; if the neighbour is a relative but not a Muslim then he has two rights. The right of being a neighbour and the right of being relative. Finally, if the neighbour is not Muslim and is not a relative then he has one right which is being a neighbour.
Kindness to the neighbour is a great grace in the Islamic laws. Islamic commands us to consider the rights of the neighbour through being kind to the neighbour, never doing harm to them. In fact, Islam associated the rights of a neighbour with the command of worshipping Allah, and with the act of kindness to the parents. Allah says: { Worship Allah. Ascribe or associate no partners with Him. And show kindness unto parents, and unto relatives, and orphans, and the needy, and unto the neighbour who is also relative (or of kin unto you) and the neighbour who is not of kin, and the fellow-traveller or companion in a travel, and the drifter or traveller in need, and (the slaves) whom you possess control of. Allah does not love who is proud and boastful} 4:36. Allah in this verse put together His rights and the rights of His slaves. Those who have rights or for whom you have obligations are of many types. Some of them are relatives. Examples of those mentioned are the parents. Some of them are a relative and at the same time are neighbour. Others are the neighbours who are not relative. And the companion on a travel.
Dearly beloved, the right of the prophet ppbu associated the right of the neighbour with the having faith into Allah, and having faith in the day after. The messenger ppbu said: {Whoever believes in Allah and the day after then let them be generous with the neighbour}. And in another narration he said: {…. then they must not harm their neighbour}.
The messenger ppbu once said: {By Allah, he never be a believer, O by Allah, he will never be a believer, O by Allah, he will never be a believer}. They said: who is it? He said: {He whose neighbour is not safe from his evil and sinful deeds and harm}.
The messenger ppbu also said: {Whoever spends a night with full belly with food, and his neighbour is hungry then he is not a believer}.
All those messages from the messenger ppbu confirm the strong tie and relationship between faith and believe and the obligation towards the neighbour or the rights of the neighbour. This shows that the right of the neighbour is one of the characteristics of faith, and is one of the acts of belief into Allah, who is aware of even a look of deceit. Belief in the day after when the reckoning and reward will take place.
The messenger ppbu said: {the best individual to Allah; in a group of friends is the one who is the best to his friend. And the best of the neighbours with Allah is the one who is best of them all to his neighbour}.
Dearly beloved in Allah, The rights of a neighbour gathers or encompasses three matters: Respect the neighbour, not to harm the neighbour, and to put up with or be patient with or endure harm cause by the neighbour. Respect the neighbour starts by initiating greeting with peace (Salam), and when you speak to the neighbour; speak soft and be gentle in your words; and guide the neighbour towards their best interest and their families in this life and next. We should seek to protect them when they are not round. In this country, most of our neighbours are non-Muslims. It is our duty towards them to have the best treatment towards them, visit them when they are sick, help them when they need the help, and give them the present when possible. The messenger ppbu said to his family when distributing the meat of the sacrifice, he said: {start with our Jewish neighbour}.
Also did the son of Omar when a lamb was slaughtered at his home. On his return home he asked: “Have you sent part of the meat as a gift to our Jewish neighbour?” He asked that question three times then he said: “I heard the messenger ppbu say: {Angel Gabriel kept on reminding and advising me about the neighbour until I thought he was about to grant the neighbour the rights to inheritance}”. Meaning it is almost true that there is no difference between relatives and neighbours except in the matter of inheritance.
We must do no harm to neighbours, do not disturb neighbours; and be patient regarding harm that comes from them. We should guide them or invite them in the kindest way. If we cannot invite them to Islam with kindness then be silent. Let your behaviour, morals and actions and way of life invite them.
A man came to the messenger ppbu and said to him: “Tell me or Guide me to a deed or something I do will cause me to go into paradise”. The messenger ppbu said: {Be kind}. The man said: “How do I know whether I am kind or not?” The messenger ppbu said: {ask your neighbours. If they say you are kind then so you are. And if they say you are evil then you are evil}.
We ask Allah to separate us by great distances with any Haram; as much as the distancesˇ He placed between the heavens and the earth.
Notes:
Adhan - The call to prayer.
Ahmad (Ahmed)- Another name for the messenger Muhammad (PPBU).
Allah - The Arabic word for "god." It is often used as a name for God in Islam.
- The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.
Ansar (or Al-Ansar):
Assalam Alaikum - The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.
- is a verse of the Koran. It also means a miracle or a sign from God.
Aya (or Ayah):
- is a mountain outside the city of Mecca that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day.
Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat):
Badr - The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.
Caliph - A Muslim ruler. See: (Khalifa)
Dajjal - Antichrist or the False Massiah.
Dawah - The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.
Deen (Din) - Religion or way of life.
- talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help.
Duaa: a prayer in the form of
Fatwa - Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.
Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.
Fiqh - Religious law.
Hadeeth: is something reported that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.
Hajar - The Black Stone set into the corner of the Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.
Hajj - The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.
Hasana or hasanas: is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.
Hadith - The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.
Hajj: is the worship of pilgrimage.
Hijra (or Hejrah): the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.
Ibadah - Worship. All the words and deeds with which Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.
Iblis - (Ibleese): On of Satan's names.
Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn Omar.
Imam (or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.
Iman: belief or faith
Injil (Enjeel) - The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the Christians.
Islam - Submission, the religion of all the prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.
Jannah - The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of the faithful in the afterlife.
Jihad: is striving in the line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the fight one's self against temptations. It also means "holy war."
Jinn - Supernatural, invisible beings race of beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on Judgment Day.
Ka'aba: A cube shaped building in Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers. Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage in a ritual known as Tawaf.
Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor".
Khutbah - A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.
Kufr - Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.
Koran - Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)
Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the Arabian peninsula (in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to. Then it was called Yathrib.
Masjid - A center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.
Masiah - A sin, or a sinful act
Mecca or Makkah: is the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).
Mosque - A Muslim house of worship.
Muhajir - (Muhajireen) Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median and Ethiopia.
Muhammad - the final messenger and prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah
Muslim - One who holds faith to the religion of Islam.
- Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.
Nasara - Christians. Nasrani: A Christian individual. Nasraniah: Christianity.
Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
Paradise - Another word for heaven. A garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels. All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.
- PPBU (P.B.U.H.) : Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the messenger or make a reference to him.
Qadar - Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.
- Qadr - (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.
Qibla - The direction which Muslims turn for daily prayers, towards Mecca.
Quraish - An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger Muhammad belonged.
Ramadan - The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.
Salat - Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is performed to worship Allah five times daily.
Shiaa: A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.
Shirk - Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of Monotheism or Tawheed.
Siam or Soam- Fasting
Sunni: is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.
Sunna (Sunnah): Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes. It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all Muslims.
Surah - A chapter of the Koran.
Tawaf: part of the pilgrimage (Hajj) ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise direction a number of seven circles.
Tauhid - Tawheed - Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)
Taqwah - Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person to understand God.
Taurat: The old Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.
Ummah - the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.
Umrah - (Amrah): A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic year, Umrah can be performed at any time.
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.
Zaboor - The Psalms
Zakat - The third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.
