Be a good neighbor

15- Render the trusts back to their owners  

16 - Speak the truth

17- Be a good neighbor: 

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “If you want Allaah The Almighty to love you, then render the trusts back to their owners, speak the truth and be good neighbors.” [at-Tabaraani] [Al-Albaani: Hasan]

As for rendering the trust, Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):

• {Indeed, Allaah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due}[Quran 4:58]
• {Then let him who is entrusted discharge his trust [faithfully] and let him fear Allaah, his Lord…}[Quran 2:283]

It seems that it refers to the fact that nothing can make him do so except piety and fear of Allaah The Almighty, and we know that rendering the trusts back to their owners is a characteristic of the pious people, who are the best slaves of Allaah The Exalted.

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, explained that betraying the trust is a sign of hypocrisy, saying: “There are three signs of a hypocrite: When he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is trusted, he betrays the trust.”[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): {Indeed, Allaah does not like traitors.} [Quran 8:58]

Allaah The Almighty loves the honest and faithful people, and hates dishonesty and treachery.

So, beware of betraying Him.

He entrusted your heart with faith, but you do not preserve it; rather, you become negligent regarding the greatest trusts; namely, believing in Him and complying with His Sharee‘ah (Islamic law).

I ask you by Allaah The Almighty, how do you dare to pledge to obey Him and then betray Him? How do you deny His favors upon you?

With regard to truthfulness, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “You must be truthful, for truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man will keep speaking the truth and striving to speak the truth until he will be recorded with Allaah as a Siddeeq (speaker of the truth).”[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

Truthfulness is the motto of the people of faith and it causes tranquility. Whoever accustoms himself to speaking the truth with his tongue, his heart will become righteous and his intentions will become sincere. It is enough that one may attain the status of the Siddeeq (affirmer of the truth) through adhering to the truth in everything.

As for being a good neighbor, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Jibreel kept advising me to treat neighbors with kindness until I thought he would assign a share of inheritance to him (the neighbor).” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

Kindness to neighbors is among the noble morals and it is a sign of true faith, as the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Be kind to your neighbor to be a (true) believer.”[At-Tirmithi] [Al-Albaani: Hasan]

The people of faith are one group, and they love each other for the sake of Allaah The Almighty. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “The dearest and nearest among you to me will be those who have the best morals among you, and those who are the best in attitude and humble, and who get along with others and others get along with them.” [At-Tabaraani] [Al-Albaani: Hasan]

There is no doubt that this requires one to resist his own desires and to be lenient; hence, be patient even when your neighbor harms you, and there is no harm in doing so as long as this entitles you to the love of Allaah The Almighty.