Neighbor’s Rights and Completion of Faith: In the Light of Qur’an and Hadith
Source: Fatāwā Amanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri
❖ Question:
Sayyiduna Abū Shurayḥ al-Khuzāʿī رضي الله عنه reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
والله لا يؤمن، والله لا يؤمن، والله لا يؤمن، قيل: ومن يا رسول الله؟ قال: الذى لا يأمن جاره بوائقه
By Allah! He does not believe, by Allah! He does not believe, by Allah! He does not believe. It was asked: “Who, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “The one whose neighbor is not safe from his harm.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6016)
Sayyiduna Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا يدخل الجنة من لا يأمن جاره بوائقه
He will not enter Paradise whose neighbor is not safe from his harm.
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 46)
From the apparent wording, it seems that one who harms his neighbor is not a believer and will not enter Paradise. Does harming a neighbor nullify one’s faith?
❖ Answer:
Harming a neighbor is a major sin and contrary to the perfection of faith.
When the ḥadīth negates faith, the meaning is that such a person is not a complete believer. A person cannot attain perfect faith unless he observes the rights of his neighbors.
As for the warning of being deprived of Paradise, it is meant to emphasize the severity and gravity of the sin. It may also mean that the one who harms his neighbors will not enter Paradise without first facing punishment, i.e., his entry will be delayed.
The consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah is that committing a major sin does not nullify one’s faith, nor does it mean eternal residence in Hell or permanent deprivation of Paradise.
❖ Qur’anic Evidence
Allah Almighty says:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives whatever is less than that for whomsoever He wills.
(Al-Nisāʾ: 48)
❖ Scholarly Explanations
◈ Imām al-Ṭabarī رحمه الله (310H):
قد أبانت هذه الآية أن كل صاحب كبيرة ففي مشيئة الله إن شاء عفا عنه، وإن شاء عاقبه عليه ما لم تكن كبيرة شركا بالله
This verse makes clear that anyone guilty of a major sin is under Allah’s will — if He wills, He will pardon him; if He wills, He will punish him — as long as it is not shirk.
(Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī: 7/122)
◈ Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (728H):
He explained that the first theological dispute in the Ummah was regarding the sinner (fāsiq).
- The Khawārij declared him a disbeliever.
- The Murjiʾah declared him a believer.
- The Muʿtazilah said he is neither believer nor disbeliever, but in an intermediate position, and they declared him eternally in Hell.
They separated themselves from the circle of Ḥasan al-Baṣrī رحمه الله, and thus were called Muʿtazilah.
As for Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah, they held that:
- A major sinner is neither expelled from Islam, nor condemned to eternal Hellfire.
- He is considered a fāsiq due to his sin, but a believer due to his faith, and his fate rests with Allah’s will.
(Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā: 3/183; Lawāmiʿ al-Anwār al-Bahiyyah by al-Saffārīnī: 1/346)
Conclusion:Harming one’s neighbor is a major sin that negates the perfection of faith but does not expel a person from Islam. The stern warnings in the ḥadīth highlight the seriousness of this sin. A believer who harms his neighbor remains under Allah’s will — He may punish him or forgive him, but he will not remain eternally in Hell.
