Ameer Hamzah :
Islam is not a sum total of worship. It has socio-politic-economic doctrine aiming at end of exploitation of a man by another and establishing justice on the basis that every man have to work according to his /her capacity and that he/she should not be given less than his due.
In Islam duty towards God has been tagged with duty towards mankind. One without the other has no rewards on the Judgment Day.
Every Muslim has his obligation to serve his/her heir and distant relatives, orphans, needy, poor, neighbour and every Muslim has its due, similar to what a neighbour claims. Rather, for being a neighbour, he has more. The Prophet Muhammad (Sm) said, a non-Muslim has his due for being a neighbour. It means that a neighbour may be a Muslim or a non-Muslim.
It proves that the neighbours must be treated properly and never be neglected.
The Prophet (SM) said: Jibreel very often advised one about paying the due to the neighbours. At one stage, I began to think that they might be made sharers in the ancestral properties. The Prophet said, whoso keeps faith in Allah and His messenger, he should show kindness to the neighbours.
The Prophet says:
1. I swear by Allah! He is not a Muslim, I swear by Allah! He is not a Muslim. The Prophet was asked, who is that man?
He said, that man from whose hand his neighbour is not safe.
2. The man who keeps faith in Allah and the Judgement Day, he must respect his neighbours. Let him respect the guest and render every hospitality. The Prophet was asked about the jurisdiction. He said, one day and one night, maximum three days; if more, that would he treated as philanthropy. Whoso keeps faith in Allah and the Last Day, he must speak the good words, or keep silent.
3. The Prophet said: Feed the hungry, serve the sick, and release the (innocent) prisoners. Allah has mentioned of neighbours claims in the Holy Quran, Verse No. 36 of Sure Nisa. The text is: And serve Allah. Ascribe no partner unto Him. Show kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and unto the neighbour who is of kin and the neighbour who is not of kin, and the fellow traveller and the wayfarer and whom your night hand posses. Verily! Allah loves not such as are proud and boastful.
Neighbour may be a relative or may not be. But both must be treated with kindness in time of need. No religious distinction has been drawn in this regards. Very sadly, in the current society relation between the neighbours is not good in most cases. Even the next-door neighbour remains unknown for months, and when some one falls in need of support, his neighbour shuts the door. It is because they neither read the Quran nor study the Prophet’s life. Even they know not the consequence of ignorance.
Allah has tagged duty towards Him with duty towards mankind. That is why He said in verse No. 9 of Sura Bani Israel, “Verily! this Quran guides unto that which is straightest, and gives tidings unto the believers who do good works that theirs will be a great reward.
Verse No. 128 of Sura Nahl states: Allah is with those who keep away from evils and those who do good (to others).
Since He has emphasized on assisting the neighbours, none denies it.
Allah has tagged duty towards Him with duty towards mankind. As for example, Allah has said, “I do not grant Namaj of every person, I accept Namaj from him who expresses gratitude to My greatness, control his instinct from doing wrongs I have forbidden, abstains from becoming disobedient to Me, feeds the hungry, clothes the nude, is kind to the distressed and shelters the stranger guest, and all these he does in love of Me. (Hadith e Qudsi, Hasith No. 246).
In Verse No. 177 of Sura Baqarah, Allah has prescribed what should be done by a human being whom Allah has created. The Text is: It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards the East and the West, but righteousness is this that one should believe in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Book and the Prophets, and give away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for ( the emancipation of) the captives, and keeps up Namaj, and pay the Zakat; and the performers of their promise when they make a promise, and the patient in distress and affliction and in time of conflicts. These are they who are true to themselves and these are they who guard (against evil).
It is clear from the Text of the verse that Allah has tagged duty to Him with duty to the mankind. The needy person may be a neighbour even.
On the Judgment Day, Allah will ask a man, “O son of Adam! I was sick but ye did not take care of Me. The man will say: O my Lord! How was that possible when Ye are the Lord of the Heaven and earth? Then Allah will say, a man known to ye fell sick but ye did not visit him. Had you done that you would have found Me there.
Allah will ask another man: O son of Adam! I was hungry but ye did not feed me. The man will reply: How was that possible when You are the Lord of the Heaven and earth? Allah will say: A man known to you wanted food from you but ye did not give. Had you given him food, you would have found Me there.
Similarly, you did not gave me water when I was thirsty. The man will say: How was that possible when You, O my Lord! are Lord of the Heaven and earth? Allah will say, a man was thirsty but you did not give him water. Had you done that you would have found Me there. (Hadith-e-Qudsi, Hadith No. 119).
(Ameer Hamzah is a journalist).
