Spread the Message of ‘Love thy Neighbour’ to Create Harmony in the Chaotic World
By
Arman Neyazi, New Age Islam
7 October
2021
Teachings
of All the Religions of the World Command Us - Hurt not others - Without
Discrimination of Religion, Caste, Creed, Regionalism or Wealth
Main
Points:
1. The human
beings are embedded with all the spiritual essence of brotherhood and divine
inclusiveness.
2. The concept
of neighbours and neighbourhood has drastically changed from individual and
family to nations and continents.
3. Now nations,
far and wide, are next-door neighbours.
4. Now the
nations smell what is cooking in another nation as the individual neighbours
do.
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Being on bad terms with your neighbour can make your life frustrating,
day after day.
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Information
technology has transformed the world into a virtual village. The concept of
neighbours and neighbourhood has drastically changed from individual and family
to nations and continents. Thus along with individuals now nations, far and
wide, are next-door neighbours. The boundaries between the nations exist as the
dividing walls between the houses. Now the nations smell what is cooking in
another nation as the individual neighbours do. Anyhow, both ’cooking’ and
‘smelling’ here have different meanings and generate different consequences in
respect to that of an individual neighbour.
As far as
Islam is concerned a good Muslim is a good human being. A good human being is
that is regarded as a good person by his neighbours. To be a good neighbour one
needs to be blessed with compassion and inclusiveness among other positivities.
The Holy Quran says: “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and
female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. (Al-
Hujurat: 13) There remains no doubt that Allah, All-Knowing, All-Aware has
granted rights of a neighbour on us and has fixed it as a sign of being a
righteous person in His eyes.
A human
being is born with the qualities of humanity. Humanity is the basic tenet of a
social person. One who lacks humanity lacks the ingredients of a social being.
Man is a social animal because he cannot live without society’s social network.
A human
being with a humane ethos does not trespass the rights of his neighbours, a
good community does not find faults in another community, a good religion does
not compel others to accept its religious faith and a nation does not encroach
the territory and rights of another nation. All the world inspirational
leaders, religious, spiritual and political, are needed to reach to the nations
and communities and people to teach them their duties towards a neighbour. No inspirational
political leader can deny the fact that every nation has one or the other
grudge from one or the other country in a fight of establishing national
superiority on the neighbouring countries. Small nations like poor individual
neighbours are treated with disdain.
Every
spiritual and religious leader knows that the world at present is devoid of the
essence of a good neighbour that is the most important lesson of the religions
and the spiritualism but no effective steps are being taken to arrest the ill
will spread among them. There are
innumerable powerful and rich agencies that are supposedly working to arrest
the ill will spread all over the world viz a viz people, communities and
nations but no effective results are even in the wings. If seminars and
conferences and workshops have gone ineffective other forms of spiritually
enlightening ways should be undertaken to reach the masses with the message of
love compassion and inclusiveness among all human beings.
Religious
organisations and religious scholars of all religions need to work together to
save humanity from sinking in the ocean of hatred and jealousy that ultimately
will be a death knell for humane values. As the situation warrants, after a
while, there will be no one to listen to the spiritual and religious teachings.
The boundaries of religiosity and cultural ethics will get broken and there
will be chaos everywhere.
Will the
world take a lesson from the religion it follows to reclaim the space of a
neighbour that has lost in the race of materialistic supremacism. Race of
materialistic supremacism somewhere transformed the society of the living being
in a society of ‘living deads’. The ‘living deads’ do not know what is
happening in their neighbourhood. Living beings are those who are a part of the
life of their neighbours, in pain or happiness. We need to rejuvenate our
divine wisdom embedded in us as a creation of the Divinity that rules the world
and all that is in it. The world just needs to ask itself the questions that it
asks from its neighbours, the individual neighbours or the neighbouring
nations. Consider the following edicts from almost all the religions and
religious faiths that command their followers to respect the rights of a
neighbour:
Judaism: “You shall not take vengeance or
bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbour as yourself: I am the
LORD.” — Leviticus 19:18
Christianity: "Do to others what you want
them to do to you." Matthew 7:12
Islam: "As you would have people do
to you, do to them; and what you dislike to be done to you, don't do to them.”
— Kitab al-Kafi,
vol. 2, p. 146
Baha’i
faith: “And if
thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which
thou choosest for thyself.” — Bahá'u'lláh
Hinduism: “If the entire Dharma can be said
in a few words, then it is—that which is unfavourable to us, do not do that to
others.” — Padmapuraana, Shrushti 19/357–358
Buddhism: “Hurt not others in ways that you
yourself would find hurtful.” — Udanavarga 5:18
Jainism: “A man should wander about treating
all creatures as he himself would be treated.” — Sutrakritanga, 1.11.33
Sikhism: “Precious like jewels are the minds
of all. To hurt them is not at all good. If thou desirest thy Beloved, then
hurt thou, not anyone's heart.” — Guru Arjan Dev Ji 259, Guru Granth Sahib
Taoism:
“Regard your neighbour's gain as your own gain, and your neighbour’s loss as
your own loss.” — T'ai Shang Kan Ying Pien
Quranic
Commands Regarding the Rights of Neighbours
“Say: We
believe in God that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto
Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes and that which Moses
and Jesus received, and that which the prophets received from their Lord. We
make no distinction from any of them, and unto Him, we have surrendered.”
(Al-Baqarah: 136-137)
"Serve
God, and join not any partners with Him; and do good—to parents, kinsfolk,
orphans, those in need, neighbours who are near, neighbours who are strangers,
(An-Nisa: 36)
The world
needs to learn from the Prophetic traditions given below and treat his
neighbours as his brother. It will create brotherhood and bring inclusiveness
in the society and the society will progress.
Prophetic
Traditions on the Rights of a Neighbour
One’s friendship and enmity should be for the
pleasure of Almighty God only; whatever you (Muslims) give should be given
because Almighty God likes it to be given and whatever you (Muslims) withhold
should be withheld because Almighty God does not like such a gift (Hadith).
Do not
think evil of each other, nor probe into each other’s affairs, nor excite one
against the other. Keep yourself away from mutual hatred and jealousy. Do not
unnecessarily oppose each other. Always remain the slaves and subjects of
Almighty Allah and live like brothers among yourself (Hadith).
To support
the community when it is in the wrong is like falling into a well while
catching the tail of your camel, which was about to fall into it (Hadith).
Choose for
others what you choose for yourself (Hadith).
"By
Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is
not a believer.’’ It was asked, "Who is that, O Messenger of Allah?’’ He
said, "One whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil" (Sahih
Bukhari).
"O Abu
Dharr! Whenever you prepare a broth, put plenty of water in it, and give some
of it to your neighbours" (Sahih Muslim).
“He is not
a believer who eats his fill whilst his neighbour beside him goes hungry"
(Bukhari).
Biblical
Verses of the Importance of Being a Good Neighbour
“Love your
neighbour as yourself – I am God.” (Leviticus 19:18)
‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12, 30-31)
If the
world is a global village, it is the responsibility of the residents of this
village to look after each other without any discrimination of religion, caste,
creed, regionalism or wealth. We better stand for the rights of a neighbour
before it is too late. We, the human beings are embedded with all the spiritual
essence of brotherhood and divine inclusiveness, therefore, it is just a matter
of time and the world will be blessed with compassion and love among the
neighbours if we took the first step towards fulfilling our neighbourhood
responsibilities.
The Muslims, the Christians, the Jews, the
Buddhists, the Jains and all other religions and religious faith have the same
commandments from their religious epics and that is ‘‘You shall love your
neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark
12, 30-31) and “This is the sum of duty; do nought onto others what you
would not have them do unto you.” (Mahabharata 5, 1517)
Therefore,
there is no excuse, it is just that taking the first step is always difficult
but remember it is commendable. All human beings carry different traits, hence,
they all are different from each other in culture, civilisation, habits and
looks, therefore, they should only be taken as neighbours and treated well.
And
Allah Knows the Best.
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Arman
Neyazi is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/love-thy-neighbour-message-harmony/d/125525
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