Explanation of the Book of the Heart—05a
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The reciter: 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Abd Allah narrated to us, saying: Ibrahim ibn Sa'd narrated to us from Ibn Shihab from Abu Salama from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 6475.
The Shaykh : We have already discussed the first sentence. As for the second, "let him not harm his neighbor," this applies even to harm that causes no physical damage. For example, if a person has a radio or a recorder with songs on it, it is not permissible for him to raise his voice in a way that annoys his neighbor. In fact, even if he has a recorder playing the Qur'an, but his neighbor is disturbed by it because he wants to sleep, it is not permissible for him to raise his voice, because that annoys the neighbor. So if someone were to say, "I am on my roof, and I like to recite the Qur'an," and he is a man with a loud, strong voice, and when people are settling down to sleep he raises his voice with the Qur'an, and his neighbors are tossing and turning trying to sleep and cannot, and perhaps some of them are ill, what do we say to him? We say: It is not permissible for you to raise your voice. But some people, if you tell them this, will say, "I am singing!" You say: No, you are not singing; you are reciting the words of Allah. But do not annoy people with the words of Allah. Do not make people hate the Qur'an because of you, because souls are weak; perhaps they will come to hate the Qur'an because of the action of this reciter, who disturbed them and annoyed them. Now, does this include actual harm? "Let him not harm his neighbor."
The reciter: A fortiori.
The Shaykh : A fortiori, if he harms his neighbor, it is a fortiori. For example, if he has a tree right next to his neighbor's wall, and when he waters it, the water seeps into his neighbor's house and causes damage to it, what do we say?
The reciter: It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : It is forbidden. Why?
The reciter: Because he annoys his neighbor.
The Shaykh : Because he annoys his neighbor. Or, for example, if he has a machine that he uses to pound the ground, and it shakes his neighbor's ground, this is also harm or annoyance. Now, what is the limit of a neighbor? There are hadiths regarding this that are weak, stating that the limit is forty houses. But there is no doubt that the immediate neighbor is not like another neighbor. However, what appears to be the case, if these hadiths are not authentic, is that one refers to custom in this matter. As for the third sentence, it says:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2500Sahih (Darussalam). The guest is the traveler who stays with you; this is the guest. As for a resident of the town, he is not a guest. So if a person from the town comes to you, knocks on the door, says "Peace be upon you," and you give him permission to enter, and he says, "I am your guest," what do you say? You say: You are not a guest. If you want to be a guest just for this visit, there is no harm, no obstacle; we will honor you. But a guest who wants to stay with you for a day and a night is obligatory, because a day and a night is obligatory for the guest, and three days.
The reciter: Recommended.
The Shaykh : Recommended. So this is not possible for you, otherwise every day ten or fifteen people from the town would come and say, "We are guests," which would be a problem for him. In any case, the guest is the traveler who stays with the owner of the village, and he must be honored with what is customary to honor him with, and this varies according to the people, does it not?
The Reader: Yes.
The Shaykh : For example, if a great man comes to you, great in his knowledge, or his wealth, or his status, he is not like a young man. Even with a young man, it is not seen that you honor him; it is not obligatory for you to honor him as you honor the great man. In fact, if you honored him as you honored the great man, it might be considered mockery and ridicule.
Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should talk what is good or keep quiet, and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not hurt (or insult) his neighbor; and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should entertain his guest generously.
من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فليقل خيراً أو ليصمت ومن كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فلا يؤذ جاره ومن كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فليكرم ضيفهThe Shaykh : We have already discussed the first sentence. As for the second, "let him not harm his neighbor," this applies even to harm that causes no physical damage. For example, if a person has a radio or a recorder with songs on it, it is not permissible for him to raise his voice in a way that annoys his neighbor. In fact, even if he has a recorder playing the Qur'an, but his neighbor is disturbed by it because he wants to sleep, it is not permissible for him to raise his voice, because that annoys the neighbor. So if someone were to say, "I am on my roof, and I like to recite the Qur'an," and he is a man with a loud, strong voice, and when people are settling down to sleep he raises his voice with the Qur'an, and his neighbors are tossing and turning trying to sleep and cannot, and perhaps some of them are ill, what do we say to him? We say: It is not permissible for you to raise your voice. But some people, if you tell them this, will say, "I am singing!" You say: No, you are not singing; you are reciting the words of Allah. But do not annoy people with the words of Allah. Do not make people hate the Qur'an because of you, because souls are weak; perhaps they will come to hate the Qur'an because of the action of this reciter, who disturbed them and annoyed them. Now, does this include actual harm? "Let him not harm his neighbor."
The reciter: A fortiori.
The Shaykh : A fortiori, if he harms his neighbor, it is a fortiori. For example, if he has a tree right next to his neighbor's wall, and when he waters it, the water seeps into his neighbor's house and causes damage to it, what do we say?
The reciter: It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : It is forbidden. Why?
The reciter: Because he annoys his neighbor.
The Shaykh : Because he annoys his neighbor. Or, for example, if he has a machine that he uses to pound the ground, and it shakes his neighbor's ground, this is also harm or annoyance. Now, what is the limit of a neighbor? There are hadiths regarding this that are weak, stating that the limit is forty houses. But there is no doubt that the immediate neighbor is not like another neighbor. However, what appears to be the case, if these hadiths are not authentic, is that one refers to custom in this matter. As for the third sentence, it says:
Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, then let him honor his guest.
من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فليكرم ضيفهThe reciter: Recommended.
The Shaykh : Recommended. So this is not possible for you, otherwise every day ten or fifteen people from the town would come and say, "We are guests," which would be a problem for him. In any case, the guest is the traveler who stays with the owner of the village, and he must be honored with what is customary to honor him with, and this varies according to the people, does it not?
The Reader: Yes.
The Shaykh : For example, if a great man comes to you, great in his knowledge, or his wealth, or his status, he is not like a young man. Even with a young man, it is not seen that you honor him; it is not obligatory for you to honor him as you honor the great man. In fact, if you honored him as you honored the great man, it might be considered mockery and ridicule.