What does Islam say
about "loving thy neighbor"?
Some
examples that always strike me as very positive about the treatment of others
in the Islamic tradition follow.
From
the Quran:
“Whoever kills a person [unjustly]…it is as though he
has killed all mankind. And whoever
saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.” (Qur’an, 5:32)
“Serve
Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good- to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbours who are
near, neighbours who are strangers, the companion by your side, the
wayfarer (ye meet), and what your right hands possess: For Allah
loveth not the arrogant, the vainglorious” (Qur’an 4:36).
From
the ahadith (sayings of the Prophet):
This
one is basically the Golden Rule -
“None of you has faith until he loves for
his brother or his neighbor what he loves for himself.” (Sahih Bukhari,
Book 2, Hadith 12)
see
also:
“Whoever
wants to enter Paradise, let him treat
people the way he would love to be treated” (Sahih Muslim, 1844).
“"Whoever
believes in Allah and the Last Day, should
not hurt his neighbor and whoever believes in Allah and the Last
Day, should serve his guest
generously and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should speak what is good or keep silent."
(Sahih Bukhari 6136: book 78, Hadith 163: Vol. 8, Book 73, Hadith 158)
As an
important aside, translation and context
are important:
The
first quote is incomplete. The full text states that this is something “We
ordained for the Children of Israel” and continues that the murder—“unless it
be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land”—may be justified (Qur’an
5:32).
The ahadith quoted above are translated from the Arabic
into English in varying ways. I saw one translation of the “Golden Rule” hadith
that brackets the term “brother” as [fellow Muslims]. For example, this
commentary on a nearly identical hadith from An-Nawawi interprets it this
way: An-Nawawi's
Forty Hadeeth: No. 13. Although from what I
have read, it is generally accepted that it refers to all mankind: Hadith
on Faith: Love for your brother in humanity what you love for yourself
My
point in this aside is 1) to highlight the fact that interpretation and context
are important with any religious tradition, and 2) we emphasize what we value when we engage
with these texts. It’s like using bold on
Quora to ensure the reader gets what you want them to get from what you write.
Nonetheless, generations of scholars have used these passages to emphasize kind
treatment of those around you, whether they are of your religion or not, and
that is no trivial matter.
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