What are the rights of neighbours in Islam?

The short answer

Neighbours have great rights in Islam. Jibril kept urging the Prophet ﷺ about them until he thought they would be made heirs. A believer must not harm his neighbour, should be generous to him, share food and gifts, and be patient with him. These rights apply to Muslim and non-Muslim neighbours alike.

Evidence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Explanation

The Quran lists "the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away" among those to whom we must do good, right next to parents and relatives 1. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Gabriel continued to recommend me about treating the neighbors Kindly and politely so much so that I thought he would order me to make them as my heirs" 2.

Not harming them is part of faith. "By Allah, he does not believe!" he said three times, about the person "whose neighbor does not feel safe from his evil" 3. "He will not enter Paradise whose neighbour is not secure from his wrongful conduct" 4. Noise, blocking driveways, rubbish, gossip and hostility all come under this.

Being generous to them. He told Abu Dharr (RA): "when you prepare the broth, add water to that and give that (as a present) to your neighbour" 5. No gift is too small: a neighbour should not look down on a gift "even if it were the trotters of the sheep" 6. When Aisha (RA) asked which of two neighbours to send gifts to, he said to give to the one whose gate is nearer 7.

Non-Muslim neighbours too. The Companion Abdullah ibn Amr (RA), having slaughtered a sheep, asked his family twice, "Have you given some to our neighbor, the Jew?", quoting the hadith about Jibril's advice 8.

If a neighbour harms you, respond first with patience, then seek fair help, while keeping your own conduct excellent. Small, steady kindness (a greeting, a plate of food, help with a parcel) is how neighbourhoods are won.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Quran An-Nisaa · 4:36

    Do good to the near neighbour, the distant neighbour and the companion at your side.

    ۞وَٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُشۡرِكُواْ بِهِۦ شَيۡـࣰٔ اۖ وَبِٱلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَٰنࣰ ا وَبِذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱلۡجَارِ ذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡجَارِ ٱلۡجُنُبِ وَٱلصَّاحِبِ بِٱلۡجَنۢبِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُكُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخۡتَالࣰ ا فَخُورًا ۝٣٦

    Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful

  2. 2
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 6014
    Sahih Bukhari

    Jibril kept advising about neighbours until the Prophet ﷺ thought they would be made heirs.

    Narrated `Aisha:The Prophet (ﷺ) said "Gabriel continued to recommend me about treating the neighbors Kindly and politely so much so that I thought he would order me to make them as my heirs

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ عَمْرَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَا زَالَ يُوصِينِي جِبْرِيلُ بِالْجَارِ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيُوَرِّثُهُ ‏"‏‏.‏

  3. 3
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 6016
    Sahih Bukhari

    He does not truly believe whose neighbour is not safe from his harm.

    Narrated Abu Shuraih:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe!" It was said, "Who is that, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" He said, "That person whose neighbor does not feel safe from his evil

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي شُرَيْحٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ وَاللَّهِ لاَ يُؤْمِنُ، وَاللَّهِ لاَ يُؤْمِنُ، وَاللَّهِ لاَ يُؤْمِنُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قِيلَ وَمَنْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ الَّذِي لاَ يَأْمَنُ جَارُهُ بَوَايِقَهُ ‏"‏‏.‏ تَابَعَهُ شَبَابَةُ وَأَسَدُ بْنُ مُوسَى‏.‏ وَقَالَ حُمَيْدُ بْنُ الأَسْوَدِ وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ عُمَرَ وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ وَشُعَيْبُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، عَنِ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ،‏.‏

  4. 4
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 46
    Sahih Muslim

    One whose neighbour is not safe from his wrongdoing will not enter Paradise.

    It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessing be upon him) observed:He will not enter Paradise whose neighbour is not secure from his wrongful conduct

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، - قَالَ ابْنُ أَيُّوبَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي الْعَلاَءُ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ لاَ يَأْمَنُ جَارُهُ بَوَائِقَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  5. 5
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 2625b
    Sahih Muslim

    Add water to your broth and share it with your neighbour.

    Abu Dharr reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Abu Dharr, when you prepare the broth, add water to that and give that (as a present) to your neighbour

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كَامِلٍ الْجَحْدَرِيُّ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لإِسْحَاقَ - قَالَ أَبُو كَامِلٍ حَدَّثَنَا وَقَالَ، إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ الْعَمِّيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عِمْرَانَ، الْجَوْنِيُّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ إِذَا طَبَخْتَ مَرَقَةً فَأَكْثِرْ مَاءَهَا وَتَعَاهَدْ جِيرَانَكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  6. 6
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 2566
    Sahih Bukhari

    Do not belittle a neighbour's gift, even a sheep's trotter.

    Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Muslim women! None of you should look down upon the gift sent by her female neighbor even if it were the trotters of the sheep (fleshless part of legs)

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، عَنِ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، ‏{‏عَنْ أَبِيهِ،‏}‏ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ يَا نِسَاءَ الْمُسْلِمَاتِ لاَ تَحْقِرَنَّ جَارَةٌ لِجَارَتِهَا، وَلَوْ فِرْسِنَ شَاةٍ ‏"‏‏.‏

  7. 7
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 6020
    Sahih Bukhari

    Give first to the neighbour whose door is nearest.

    Narrated `Aisha:I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have two neighbors! To whom shall I send my gifts?" He said, "To the one whose gate in nearer to you

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مِنْهَالٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو عِمْرَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ لِي جَارَيْنِ فَإِلَى أَيِّهِمَا أُهْدِي قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِلَى أَقْرَبِهِمَا مِنْكِ بَابًا ‏"‏‏.‏

  8. 8
    Hadith Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1943
    Sahih graded by Al-Albani

    Abdullah ibn Amr made sure meat was sent to his Jewish neighbour, citing the hadith on neighbours.

    Mujahid narrated:"Abdullah bin Amr had a sheep slaughtered for his family, so when he came he said: 'Have you given some to our neighbor, the Jew? Have you given some to our neighbor, the Jew? I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: 'Jibril continued to advise me about (treating) the neighbors so (kindly and politely), that I thought he would order me (from Allah) to make them heirs

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ شَابُورَ، وَبَشِيرٍ أَبِي إِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو، ذُبِحَتْ لَهُ شَاةٌ فِي أَهْلِهِ فَلَمَّا جَاءَ قَالَ أَهْدَيْتُمْ لِجَارِنَا الْيَهُودِيِّ أَهْدَيْتُمْ لِجَارِنَا الْيَهُودِيِّ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ مَا زَالَ جِبْرِيلُ يُوصِينِي بِالْجَارِ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيُوَرِّثُهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَأَنَسٍ وَالْمِقْدَادِ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ وَعُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ وَأَبِي شُرَيْحٍ وَأَبِي أُمَامَةَ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ ‏.‏ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَيْضًا ‏.‏

This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24

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