INTERFAITH CONSULTATION FOR WORKING TOGETHER

1. PRESENTED BY: DR SHEIKH HASSAN KINYUA OMARI
PHD , M.A,PGD(ISLAMC BANKING AND INSURANCE-IIBI, UK) B.A (ISLAMIC STUDIES/ARABIC LANGUAGE )
DIRECTOR, RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS-SUPREME COUNCIL
OF KENYA MUSLIMS
AT DARI HOTEL-NAIROBI
17TH
- 19TH
, 2016
INTERFAITH
CONSULTATION

2. Rights of Neighbours:Islamic perspective
Religions share a common message, ‘do to others
what you have done to you’, this is one of the moral
foundations in interfaith relations.
And be good to the neighbour who is your
relative and to the neighbour who is not a
relative . . . (Qur'an, 4:36)
Islam has great respect for the mutual rights and
duties of neighbours. The Holy Prophet said:
Jibril always used to advise me to be generous with
neighbours, till I thought that Allah was going to
include the neighbours among the heirs of a Muslim.

3. Cont..
The rights of neighbourhood are not meant for
Muslim neighbours only. of course, a Muslim
neighbour has one more claim upon us - that of
Islamic brotherhood; but so far as the rights of
neighbourship are concerned, all are equal.

4. Hadith on types of neighbours
Explaining it, the Holy Prophet said: Neighbours are of three kinds:
(1) that one who has got one right upon you;
(2) that one who has got two rights upon you;
(3) that one who has got three rights upon you.
The neighbour having three rights upon you is the one who is also a
Muslim and a relative. The neighbour having two rights is the one
who is either a non-Muslim or a non-relative Muslim.
 The neighbour having one right is the one who is neither a Muslim
nor a relative. Still he has got all the claims of neighbourhood-rights
upon you.

5. Hadith on neighbours
 Here are some more traditions which show the Islamic love towards
the neighbours:
The Holy Prophet said:
That man is not from me who sleeps contentedly while his
neighbour sleeps hungry.
Al-Imam `Ali ibn al-Husayn (a. s.) in his Risalat al-Huquq, said:
These are your duties towards your neighbour: Protect his interests
when he is absent; show him respect when he is present; help him
when he is inflicted with any injustice. Do not remain on the look-
out to detect his faults; and if, by any chance, you happen to know
any undesirable thing about him, hide it from others; and, at the
same time, try to desist him from improper habits, if there is any
chance that he will listen to you. Never leave him alone at any
calamity. Forgive him, if he has done any wrong. In short, live with
him a noble life, based on the highest Islamic ethical code.

6. Responsibility towards neighbour.
Protect his interests when he is absent; show him respect
when he is present; help him when he is inflicted with any
injustice. Do not remain on the look-out to detect his faults;
and if, by any chance, you happen to know any undesirable
thing about him, hide it from others; and, at the same time,
try to desist him from improper habits, if there is any
chance that he will listen to you. Never leave him alone at
any calamity. Forgive him, if he has done any wrong. In
short, live with him a noble life, based on the highest
Islamic ethical code

7. Cont..
The neighbour having one right is the one who is neither a
Muslim nor a relative. Still he has got all the claims of
neighbourhood-rights upon you.
Here are some more traditions which show the Islamic love
towards the neighbours:
The Holy Prophet said:
That man is not from me who sleeps contentedly while his
neighbour sleeps hungry.
Al-Imam `Ali ibn al-Husayn (a. s.) in his Risalat al-Huquq, said:
These are your duties towards your neigbour

8. Cont..
• Ethics and morality are paramount in Islamic teachings, which focus on the
individual wellbeing and the development of the world to establish peace
and harmony for all (Dugbazah, 2009:25).
• Verily, God commands justice, and Ihssan10/ beneficence and giving to
kindred; and forbids indecency, and forbidden things, and wrongful
transgression. He admonished you that you may take heed (16:90)
• This verse lays the foundation for human behaviour and ethics in relation
to God, other human beings and the environment; the verse stipulates
God’s comprehensive commands for ethical human behaviour (Asad, 2003:
456, note 108).
• The whole society is commanded to follow the behaviour exhorted in the
verse in order to demonstrate justice, ihssan/beneficence and
generosity/charitable giving (Kamali, 2002: 112).
• Indeed a moral framework for development encourages a more caring
society, more development aid to the poor and stability in a world of mutual
respect and cooperation (Tyndale, 2003: 22-28).

9. Cont..
• Religions have a vision of creating a better world that is not
centred upon economic factors
Religious values and moral codes provide a strong foundation
for a more sustainable and appropriate development
strategy”(Lunn 2009: 945)
• International conventions, conferences and institutions have
focused on fighting corruption
• Civil society has been active in combating corruption.
• Most of these initiatives have been undertaken within a
‘secular’ framework.
• codes of ethics promoted by different faiths have the potential
to contribute to the process of curbing corruption.
• there has not been a clear public message on the role of faith
in the fight against corruption

10. Islam and social justice
• Social justice is central to the concept of development in Islam (Dugbazah, 2009: 34).
• In Islamic teaching, social justice includes the fair and equitable distribution of wealth, the
provision of basic necessities, and the protection of the weak against economic exploitation by
the strong (Badawi, 1982).
• Furthermore values of fairness, honesty, ethics and mercy should be evident in the application
of justice regardless of race, colour or creed (Khan, et. al., 2009). Therefore, all behaviours that
undermine those values and distort Islam’s moral framework are not acceptable in Islam.
• The Quran addresses this issue by using the concept of ‘fasaad’, which is an Arabic word that
can be translated as corruption.
• The concept of corruption in the Quran is broader than the mainstream concept of corruption,
which is the misuse of entrusted power.
• The verse instigates the values of justice, beneficence /Ihssan and giving/generosity to one’s
fellow men (denote the wider community), then, the verse highlights the forbidden behaviours
of indecency, forbidding -behaviours, and wrongful transgression
• Ihssan according to the prophet’s (pbuh) saying is ‘to worship God as you are seeing him and
while you see Him not yet truly He sees you’ (Albukhari).
• Ihsan means doing everything in an excellent manner in relation to the following: in relation to
God by feeling his presence; parents by honour and being thankful to them; relatives by saving
their rights and being good to them; the weak and needy by charity and being nice to them;
human relations in general by being good to all regardless of differences in faith; the whole
world’s creatures including vegetables, animals and inanimates and the whole environment by
not wasting or misusing resources and doing good in everything.

11. Cont..
• In order to fulfil their role as stewards on earth, it is important for human beings to
follow the moral framework laid down by Islam, which includes all the guidance and
teachings that promote morality. Humankind would ideally conform to such a
moral framework, without the need for a legal system or external supervision
because of their love and fear of God (Kamali, 2002: 113, and Zayd, 2006).
• This conformity reflects the concept of taqwa, which is a central concept in the
teaching of the Quran. Taqwa can be translated into the state of being pious or God-
fearing. Like justice, conveying the importance of taqwa was the goal of all of the
messengers sent by God (Quran 4:131); the message was to “obtain the taqwa of
God” (Baianonie, 1998). The centrality of taqwa in relation to ethics16 and human
behaviour is a guiding principle in the teachings of the Quran and has been linked
to God’s guidance on human behaviour in 151 verses (Karolia, 2003).
• Therefore, one can conclude that compliance to Islam’s moral framework is a
measure of accountability to God. Consequently, from an Islamic perspective there
is a significant moral and ethical dimension that should influence human behaviour
in the fight against corruption (Lewis, 2006:13). Furthermore in the Quran, the
concept of taqwa is instrumental in framing human behaviour and ethics.
Therefore, from an Islamic perspective, the concept provides the foundation for
ethical transparency and accountability in all humankind’s deeds and sayings
beyond the power of legal systems and the enforcement of laws and procedures.

12. Hadith


13. Reference
• Abdul Kader, A. (1973) in Al-buraey M (1985) ‘Administrative Development, An Islamic Perspective’ London,
England, first published by KPI limited.
• Al-buraey M. (1985) ‘Administrative Development, An Islamic Perspective’ London, England, first published
by KPI limited
• Asad, M. (2003) ‘The Message of the Quran’, England, The Book Foundation
• Badawi, A. (1982) ‘Islamic Teachings’, Halifax: Islamic Information Foundation, Album 4
• Baianonie, M. (1998) ‘The position of Taqwa and its importance in Islam’
• Blunt, E. (2002), Corruption ‘costs Africa billions’ available at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2265387.stm accessed on 24th October 2009
• Clarke, G. (2007) ‘Agents of Transformation?: Donors, faith-based organisations and international
development.’ Third World Quarterly, 28 (1), pp 77-96
• Dillon, J. Ekmekji, E. Feighery,A. Garrett,R. Gray,M, Johnson, T, Jones,S, Legge,T, Leous,J. Raeisghasem, A.
and Reilly, K.(2006), Corruption and the Environment, USA, Columbia University. Available at
http://www.watergovernance.org/downloads/Corruption_&_the%20Environment_Columbia_U
niv_WS_May2006.pdf , accessed on 20th October 2009
• Dugbazah, J. (2009) ‘The Relationships between Values, Religious Teaching and Development Concepts and
practices: A Preliminary Literature Review’ Birmingham, University of Birmingham
• Iqbal, Z. and Lewis, M.K. (2002), ‘Governance and Corruption: Can Islamic Societies and the West Learn from
Each Other?’ American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, 19(2), 1-33
• Kamali, M. (2002) ‘Freedom, Equality and Justice In Islam’ United Kingdom. The Islamic Texts Society
• Khan, A. Tahmazov, I. and Abuarqub, M. (2009) ‘Translating Faith into Development’ available at
http://www.islamicrelief.com/Indepth