Major Sins by Imam Shamsu ed-Deen Dhahabi

In the two Sahihs, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "By Allah, he does not believe. By Allah, he does not believe. By Allah, he does not believe." Someone asked, "Whom, O Messenger of Allah? And he said, "He whose neighbor is not safe from his evil conduct.” 1

In another narration, it is reported that, "The one whose neighbor is not safe from his evil conduct will not enter Paradise.” 2

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was asked about the greatest of sins and he said, "To ascribe a partner to Allah and He is the one who created you, to kill your son with fear of being fed with you, and to commit fornication with the wife of your neighbor.” 3

In another narration, it is reported that, "The one who hurts his neighbor, does not believe in Allah, nor in the Last Day.” 4

"Neighbors are of three kinds, a kin Muslim neighbor, he has the right of a neighbor, the right of Islam and the right of kinship. The Muslim neighbor, he has the right of a neighbor and the right of Islam. And the disbelieving neighbor, he has the right of a neighbor.” 5

Ibn 'Arnr (may Allah be pleased with him) had a Jewish neighbor. Whenever he slaughtered sheep, he used to say, "Carry some of it for our Jewish neighbor.” 6

It is reported that, "On the Day of Judgment, the poor neighbor will hang himself on to the rich neighbor saying, 'O Lord! Ask him why he deprived me of his charity and closed his door before me.” 7

The neighbor should endure the evil conduct of his neighbor for it is a good treatment to him. A man came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said, "0 Messenger of Allah, teach me a deed which if I do it, I will enter Paradise. The Prophet said, "Deal with good conduct". He asked, "How O Messenger of Allah? The Prophet said, 'Ask your neighbors, if they say that you deal with good conduct, then you are as they said, and if they say that you deal in bad conduct, then you are as they said.” 8

The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said, "Whoever shuts his door before his neighbor because of fear of him or his family and property, he is not a believer. And the one whose neighbor is not safe from his evil conduct is not also a believer.” 1

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) also said, "For a person, to commit fornication with ten women is lesser than to commit it with the wife of his neighbor and to steal from ten houses is lesser than to steal from the house of his neighbor.” 2

In Sunan Abu Dawud, Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that, "Once a man came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) complaining about his neighbor to him. The Prophet said, "Go and be patient. He came again twice or thrice. Then the Prophet said, "Go and place your belongings on the road.” The man went and did that. The people passed by him asking him about his affairs. He told them about his neighbor. The people cursed his neighbor saying, "May Allah cause him such and such and supplicated on him. Thereupon his neighbor came to him and said, "0 my brother, come back to your house and you will never see anything you hate again.” 3

A person should endure the harms and hurts of his neighbor even if he was a Dhimi (none. Muslim living in Muslim country). Sahl Ibn `Abdullah At- Tustri (may Allah have mercy upon him) reported that, "He had a Dhimi neighbor and from his water closet, there was a hole flowing into the house of Sahl. Sahl used to put a vessel under this flowing hole until all rubbish gathered in it and threw it during the night to conceal himself from the people. Sahl continued to do that for a long period until the time of his death come. He sent for his magian neighbor and summoned him saying, "Enter this house and look into it. He entered and saw the hole with rubbish flowing from it into the vessel and he said, what is this, which I see? Sahl said, this is from a long period, I receive it during the day and threw it during the night. The time of my death has come, and I fear that the manners of other people might not endure you, otherwise I would not tell you. So do what do you see. The magian said, O an old man, you treat me in such a way from a long period and I am still indulging in my disbelief? Stretch your hand to me, I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Then the soul of Sahl was taken.