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‘AL-JAAR’: THE NEIGHBOUR
Sayyid
Jawad ‘Ameli, a great Mujtahid, was having his dinner when someone
knocked at his door. A servant from his master, Ayatullah Sayyid Mahdi
Bahrul-‘Uloom appeared and said, “Your master has asked you to see
him immediately. He has just sat down for his dinner but refuses to eat
until he sees you”.
There was
no time to lose. Sayyid ‘Ameli left his dinner and rushed to Sayyid
Bahrul-‘Uloom’s residence. Just as he entered, the master looked
disapprovingly at him and said: “Sayyid Jawad! You have no fear of
Allah! Don’t you feel ashamed of Allah?”
This
struck, as a thunderbolt for Sayyid Jawad could not remember doing
anything to incur the wrath of his master. He asked with utmost
humbleness: “My master may guide me where I have failed”.
“It is
now a week that your neighbour and his family are without wheat or rice.
They were buying some dates from a grocer on credit and today the grocer
refused to grant him any further credit. He returned home empty-handed
and the family is without a morsel of food”.
Sayyid
Mahdi said.
Sayyid
Jawad was shocked. “By Allah” he said, “I have no knowledge
about this”. Sayyid Mahdi looked at him angrily and said, “This
is why I am even more displeased with you. How can you be unaware of
your own neighbour? Seven days of difficulties have passed and you tell
me that you do not know about it? Well, if you had known about it and
ignored him despite your knowledge, then you would not even be a
Muslim”.
Thereafter Sayyid Mahdi Bahrul-‘Uloom instructed Sayyid Jawad to take
all the dishes of food before him to the neighbour. “Sit with him to
eat, so that he does not feel ashamed. And take this sum for his future
provision. Place it under his pillow or carpet so that he is not
humiliated. And inform me when this work is completed. Till then, I
shall not eat”.
(Al-Kani wal Alqaab,
Muhaddis Qummi)
QURANIC
INSTRUCTION:
“Worship Allah and do not associate any partners with Him; and do good
to the parents, and the kinsfolk, and the orphans, and the needy, and
the neighbours who are near, and the neighbours who are strangers, and
the companion by your side, and the wayfarer, and which your right hands
possess; verily Allah does not love the proud, the boastful”.
(4:36)
PROPHETIC
INSTRUCTIONS:
The Holy
Prophet (saww) has said, “One who believes
in Allah and the Judgement Day shall not harm his neighbours”. (Bihar
al-Anwaar)
He (saww)
has also said, “He is not from us whose
neighbours are not safe from his harm”. (Bihar
al-Anwaar)
Mentioning some rights of a neighbour, the Holy Prophet (saww) said,
“If he seeks help, then help him. If he asks for a loan, then loan him.
If he is in need, then fulfil his need. If he is happy, then
congratulate him over his happiness. If he falls ill, then pay him a
visit. If a calamity befalls him, then offer solace to him. If he dies,
then attend his funeral. Without his permission, do not raise your
structure so high as to block flow of air into his house. We you buy
fruits, then send some to him…”
(Bihar
al-Anwaar)
He (saww)
also said,
“Gabriel (Jibrael) enjoined me about (the rights of) the neighbours so
much that I thought they (neighbours) will be included in the
heritage”.
(Bihar
al-Anwaar)
Mulla
Mujaheedali Sheriff
mulla@almahdi.org.uk |