Neighbours

You know,

humans need other humans around them if they are to survive,

and as their babies grow they get to know the people who live close around their family,

who share a language and a way of life.

These are people who share some understanding

of the way that Good Manners are acted out in a society,

and share some understanding of good and bad,

and some understanding of what life is for.

These are Neighbours.

And because they are all different,

most of them may agree on some things,

and some of them might agree on most things,

but very few will agree on everything.

So what's the best way to get on with other people?

What are the important Good Manners?

And are there any that apply to everybody?

If we look to our Islamic Way of Life, we find that our Deen cannot be forced on anyone

so the Deen of how we deal with our neighbours begins with ourselves.

We can't always change our neighbours,

but we can always change ourselves.

What spreads the Deen is good example.

Just because we can't always trust our neighbours

doesn't mean that our neighbours shouldn't be able to trust us.

We try to treat our neighbours as we would like them to treat us.

We try to speak the Truth,

to be Honest, Helpful and Caring

and Trustworthy.

We give our neighbours Respect

for their age and experience,

or for their youth and bravery,

or their Goodness.

When we disagree with them we say what we believe,

and even when we disagree with them

speak only in the fairest and gentlest of manners.

We remember to be humble before God,

and try to remember God's Presence all the time.

And because our Deen concerns our own behaviour,

and doesn't demand change of our neighbours,

it is a way for us to behave no matter how much we might dislike

the way our neighbours act or what they believe.

If they have another faith to ours,

or have no faith at all,

whether we have great disagreement or little,

our Deen towards them is the same.

We may greet different neighbours in different ways,

and show a different Adab,

but our Deen is not between us and our neighbours,

our Deen is always between us and Allah.