AND TO THE NEIGHBOURS WHO ARE NEAR...

AND TO THE NEIGHBOURS WHO ARE NEAR, AND TO THE DISTANT NEIGHBOURS, AND NEAR COMPANIONS, AND THE WAYFARER, AND THOSE WHOM YOUR RIGHT HANDS POSSESS, THAT ALLAH LOVES NOT HIM WHO IS HAUGHTY, BOASTFUL. THE COMMENTARY VERSE NO. 36 The prime nature and the substance of Islam is to worship the only one God whose name is Allah; and else to do good and to be good to mankind in particular, and to all our fellow - creatures in general.

The verse alludes to a series of rights and instructions to observe such rights. These rights, the observance of which is obligatory and incumbent upon us all, are the rights of the creator and those of His creatures, and some ten instructions can be deduced from the verse as undermentioned: 1- First of all the verse enjoins to worship God and believe in His oneness, associating nothing with Him as partners.

Leaving polytheism [ 522 ] and believeing in Monotheism is the essence of Islam, without which no one can be a Muslim. 2- Then comes the turn of doing good to the parents which is second important instruction after the faith in Monotheism. the rights of father and mother have frequently been mentioned in Qura"n, and less a subject will you find in the Book with so much emphasis and stress. 3- The third commandment is to do good to family and relative.

This virtue is enjoined here and there in the Book; sometimes in the form of observing the bonds of relationship, and sometimes in an imperative mood, to do good to relatives and kindreds. 4- In the fourth stage it is ordained to observe the rights of orphans, and not to devour their properties, and injure them not the least in any way. 5- Then the rights of the poor and needy is called to be observed.

In a community there might be so many indigents that must not be ignored or forgotten, because leaving them unattended is against all human tenets and philosophy. 6 & 7- Then comes the commands for doing good to neighbours. These may either be near and relatives or intimates and friends, or neighbour who are far and strangers whatsoever.