At that night, he was listening to the words of his mother standing in the direction towards Ka’aba in a corner of the room.He was observing his mother praying to Allah prostrating,bowing,standing and sitting at that night, a Friday night.

 He was still a child;he was watching and hearing his mother praying for all Muslims,men and women remembering them by names and asking the Almighty for their prosperity,felicity and favours;he was carefully listening to her whether she would mention mention and demand something from Allah for herself or not?

That night Imam Hassan (as) kept awake till morning, not losing the sight of her mother ,Fatima (as).The dawn succeeded after the night passed with prayer and supplication for others,but Imam Hassan (as) did not hear her saying even a single word in favour of herself.In the morning, he(as) asked,

“Mother! Tonight I listened to your prayers, throughout you prayed for others and you did not pray even a single word for yourself?”

The affectionate mother said in reply,

“My beloved son! First neighbours then our house”.

Allah (SWT) says,

“….and be good to the parents and to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the neighbour of (your) kin and the alien neighbour…..”
  (4:36)

This verse teaches us to be always good to our neighbours, be they our relatives or not.Islam has declared great respect for the mutual rights andduties of neighbours.The following sayings of the Holy Prophet (saw) shows importance of good neighbourliness in Islam.

“Jibrael (the angel) always used to advise me to be generous with the neighbours till I thought that Allah was going to include the neighbours among the heirs of a Muslim”

“That man is not from me who sleeps contented while his neighbour sleeps hungry”

“He is not a believer if his neighbours are not able to live in peace and security.Whoever has faith in Allah and the day of judgement does not molest his neighbours”

Stipulating the rights of neighbours, The Holy Prophet (saw) has said,

“You should visit your neighbour when he is sick, you should loan him money when he requests for it, you should congratulate him on his good occasion and console when afflicted, do not extend your house in such a wayso as to block the flow of air to his house and you should go along with his coffin when he dies”.

Imam Zaynul-Aabideen (as) has said,

“These are your duties towards your neighbour;  protect his interest when he is absent; show him respect when he is present; help him when he is afflicted with any injustice. Do not be on look out to detect his faults; and if,by any chance,you happen to know any undesirable thing about him,hide it from others;and at the same time,try to desist him from improper habits, if there is any chance that he will listen to you. Never leave him alone in any calamity. Forgive him, if he has done any wrong. In  short, live with him a noble life based on the highest Islamic ethical code”.

Describing the number of houses which comes under the limit of neighbourhood, the Holy Prophet (saw) said,
“Every fourty houses in front, at the back, on the right and on the left are to be considered as neighbours”.

Thus we see that no other religion but Islam has emphasised and guided on good treatment of neighbours.

Released by:
Mulla Mujaheedali Sheriff

Source: en.shafaqna.com