Rights of Neighbors
Total Hadiths 10
Prophet's Guidance on the Property Rights of Neighbors
According to Islamic scholars, the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) establish clear framework guidelines regarding the legal and social rights of neighbors, particularly concerning property and land ownership. The provided traditions underscore the concept of preemption, meaning a neighbor holds the primary right over adjacent property or land being sold due to their proximity. The Prophet (ﷺ) emphasized that a neighbor has the greatest right to nearby property because of this nearness. Furthermore, this right extends to an ethical duty of patience; if neighbors share a common path, one must wait for the other even if they are temporarily absent before selling or making changes. These rules prevent community disputes and protect the mutual interests of adjacent households, showing that Islam integrates legal property rights with neighborhood harmony.
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ، وَالْعَلاَءُ بْنُ سَالِمٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَنْبَأَنَا شَرِيكٌ، عَنْ سِمَاكٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ أَرْضٌ فَأَرَادَ بَيْعَهَا فَلْيَعْرِضْهَا عَلَى جَارِهِ " .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever has land and wants to sell it, let him offer it to his neighbor.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2493In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 2English translation : Vol. 3, Book 17, Hadith 2493
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " الْجَارُ أَحَقُّ بِشُفْعَةِ جَارِهِ يَنْتَظِرُ بِهَا إِنْ كَانَ غَائِبًا إِذَا كَانَ طَرِيقُهُمَا وَاحِدًا " .
Jabir Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The neighbor has more right to preemption of his neighbor, so let him wait for him even if he is absent, if they share a path.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2494In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 3English translation : Vol. 3, Book 17, Hadith 2494
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ إِنَّمَا جَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الشُّفْعَةَ فِي كُلِّ مَا لَمْ يُقْسَمْ، فَإِذَا وَقَعَتِ الْحُدُودُ وَصُرِّفَتِ الطُّرُقُ فَلاَ شُفْعَةَ. وَقَالَ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ الشُّفْعَةُ لِلْجِوَارِ. ثُمَّ عَمَدَ إِلَى مَا شَدَّدَهُ فَأَبْطَلَهُ، وَقَالَ إِنِ اشْتَرَى دَارًا فَخَافَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ الْجَارُ بِالشُّفْعَةِ، فَاشْتَرَى سَهْمًا مِنْ مِائَةِ سَهْمٍ، ثُمَّ اشْتَرَى الْبَاقِيَ، وَكَانَ لِلْجَارِ الشُّفْعَةُ فِي السَّهْمِ الأَوَّلِ، وَلاَ شُفْعَةَ لَهُ فِي بَاقِي الدَّارِ، وَلَهُ أَنْ يَحْتَالَ فِي ذَلِكَ.
Jabir bin `Abdullah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) has decreed that preemption is valid in all cases where the real estate concerned has not been divided, but if the boundaries are established and the ways are made, then there is no preemption. A man said, "Preemption is only for the neighbor," and then he makes invalid what he has confirmed. He said, "If someone wants to buy a house and being afraid that the neighbor (of the house) may buy it through preemption, he buys one share out of one hundred shares of the house and then buys the rest of the house, then the neighbor can only have the right of preemption for the first share but not for the rest of the house; and the buyer may play such a trick in this case."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6976In-book reference : Book 90, Hadith 23USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 86, Hadith 106
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ، عَنْ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " الْجَارُ أَحَقُّ بِصَقَبِهِ ". وَقَالَ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ إِنِ اشْتَرَى دَارًا بِعِشْرِينَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ، فَلاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يَحْتَالَ حَتَّى يَشْتَرِيَ الدَّارَ بِعِشْرِينَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ، وَيَنْقُدَهُ تِسْعَةَ آلاَفِ دِرْهَمٍ وَتِسْعَمِائَةَ دِرْهَمٍ وَتِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ، وَيَنْقُدَهُ دِينَارًا بِمَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الْعِشْرِينَ الأَلْفَ، فَإِنْ طَلَبَ الشَّفِيعُ أَخَذَهَا بِعِشْرِينَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ، وَإِلاَّ فَلاَ سَبِيلَ لَهُ عَلَى الدَّارِ، فَإِنِ اسْتُحِقَّتِ الدَّارُ، رَجَعَ الْمُشْتَرِي عَلَى الْبَائِعِ بِمَا دَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ، وَهْوَ تِسْعَةُ آلاَفِ دِرْهَمٍ وَتِسْعُمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ دِرْهَمًا وَدِينَارٌ، لأَنَّ الْبَيْعَ حِينَ اسْتُحِقَّ انْتَقَضَ الصَّرْفُ فِي الدِّينَارِ، فَإِنْ وَجَدَ بِهَذِهِ الدَّارِ عَيْبًا وَلَمْ تُسْتَحَقَّ، فَإِنَّهُ يَرُدُّهَا عَلَيْهِ بِعِشْرِينَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ. قَالَ فَأَجَازَ هَذَا الْخِدَاعَ بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ دَاءَ وَلاَ خِبْثَةَ وَلاَ غَائِلَةَ ".
Abu Rafi' Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The neighbor has more right to be taken care of by his neighbor (than anyone else)." Some men said, "If one wants to buy a house for 20,000 Dirhams then there is no harm to play a trick to deprive somebody of preemption by buying it (just on paper) with 20,000 Dirhams but paying to the seller only 9,999 Dirhams in cash and then agree with the seller to pay only one Dinar in cash for the rest of the price (i.e. 10,001 Dirhams). If the preemptor offers 20,000 Dirhams for the house, he can buy it otherwise he has no right to buy it (by this trick he got out of preemption).If the house proves to belong to somebody else other than the seller, the buyer should take back from the seller what he has paid, i.e., 9,999 Dirhams and one Dinar, because if the house proves to belong to somebody else, so the whole bargain (deal) is unlawful. If the buyer finds a defect in the house and it does not belong to somebody other than the seller, the buyer may return it and receive 20,000 Dirhams (instead of 9999 Dirham plus one Dinar) which he actually paid.'Abu `Abdullah said, "So that man allows (some people) the playing of tricks amongst the Muslims (although) the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'In dealing with Muslims one should not sell them sick (animals) or bad things or stolen things."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6980In-book reference : Book 90, Hadith 27USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 86, Hadith 109
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ، عَنْ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " الْجَارُ أَحَقُّ بِسَقَبِهِ " .
Abu Rafi' Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The neighbor has more right to property that is near.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2495In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 4English translation : Vol. 3, Book 17, Hadith 2495
حَدَّثَنَا الْمَكِّيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ، قَالَ وَقَفْتُ عَلَى سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ، فَجَاءَ الْمِسْوَرُ بْنُ مَخْرَمَةَ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى إِحْدَى مَنْكِبَىَّ إِذْ جَاءَ أَبُو رَافِعٍ مَوْلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا سَعْدُ ابْتَعْ مِنِّي بَيْتَىَّ فِي دَارِكَ. فَقَالَ سَعْدٌ وَاللَّهِ مَا أَبْتَاعُهُمَا. فَقَالَ الْمِسْوَرُ وَاللَّهِ لَتَبْتَاعَنَّهُمَا. فَقَالَ سَعْدٌ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَزِيدُكَ عَلَى أَرْبَعَةِ آلاَفٍ، مُنَجَّمَةٍ أَوْ مُقَطَّعَةٍ. قَالَ أَبُو رَافِعٍ لَقَدْ أُعْطِيتُ بِهَا خَمْسَمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ، وَلَوْلاَ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " الْجَارُ أَحَقُّ بِسَقَبِهِ ". مَا أَعْطَيْتُكَهَا بِأَرْبَعَةِ آلاَفٍ، وَأَنَا أُعْطَى بِهَا خَمْسَمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ. فَأَعْطَاهَا إِيَّاهُ.
'Amr bin Ash-Sharid Narrated from:
While I was standing with Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas, Al-Miswar bin Makhrama came and put his hand on my shoulder. Meanwhile Abu Rafi`, the freed slave of the Prophet (ﷺ) came and asked Sa`d to buy from him the (two) dwellings which were in his house. Sa`d said, "By Allah I will not buy them." Al- Miswar said, "By Allah, you shall buy them." Sa`d replied, "By Allah, I will not pay more than four thousand (Dirhams) by installments."Abu Rafi` said, "I have been offered five hundred Dinars (for it) and had I not heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, 'The neighbor has more right than anyone else because of his nearness, I would not give them to you for four-thousand (Dirhams) while I am offered five-hundred Dinars (one Dinar equals ten Dirhams) for them." So, he sold it to Sa`d.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2258In-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 2USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 35, Hadith 459
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ، سَمِعْتُ عَمْرَو بْنَ الشَّرِيدِ، قَالَ جَاءَ الْمِسْوَرُ بْنُ مَخْرَمَةَ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى مَنْكِبِي، فَانْطَلَقْتُ مَعَهُ إِلَى سَعْدٍ فَقَالَ أَبُو رَافِعٍ لِلْمِسْوَرِ أَلاَ تَأْمُرُ هَذَا أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَ مِنِّي بَيْتِي الَّذِي فِي دَارِي. فَقَالَ لاَ أَزِيدُهُ عَلَى أَرْبَعِمِائَةٍ، إِمَّا مُقَطَّعَةٍ وَإِمَّا مُنَجَّمَةٍ. قَالَ أُعْطِيتُ خَمْسَمِائَةٍ نَقْدًا، فَمَنَعْتُهُ، وَلَوْلاَ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " الْجَارُ أَحَقُّ بِصَقَبِهِ ". مَا بِعْتُكَهُ أَوْ قَالَ مَا أَعْطَيْتُكَهُ. قُلْتُ لِسُفْيَانَ إِنَّ مَعْمَرًا لَمْ يَقُلْ هَكَذَا. قَالَ لَكِنَّهُ قَالَ لِي هَكَذَا. وَقَالَ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَبِيعَ الشُّفْعَةَ فَلَهُ أَنْ يَحْتَالَ حَتَّى يُبْطِلَ الشُّفْعَةَ فَيَهَبُ الْبَائِعُ لِلْمُشْتَرِي الدَّارَ، وَيَحُدُّهَا وَيَدْفَعُهَا إِلَيْهِ، وَيُعَوِّضُهُ الْمُشْتَرِي أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ، فَلاَ يَكُونُ لِلشَّفِيعِ فِيهَا شُفْعَةٌ.
'Amr bin Ash-Sharid Narrated from:
Al-Miswar bin Makhrama came and put his hand on my shoulder and I accompanied him to Sa'd. Abu Rafi' said to Al-Miswar, "Won't you order this (i.e. Sa'd) to buy my house which is in my yard?" Sa'd said, "I will not offer more than four hundred in installments over a fixed period." Abu Rafi said, "I was offered five hundred cash but I refused. Had I not heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, 'A neighbor is more entitled to receive the care of his neighbor,' I would not have sold it to you." The narrator said, to Sufyan: Ma'mar did not say so. Sufyan said, "But he did say so to me."Some people said, "If someone wants to sell a house and deprived somebody of the right of preemption, he has the right to play a trick to render the preemption invalid. And that is by giving the house to the buyer as a present and marking its boundaries and giving it to him. The buyer then gives the seller one-thousand Dirham as compensation in which case the preemptor loses his right of preemption."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6977In-book reference : Book 90, Hadith 24USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 86, Hadith 107
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ، عَنْ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، أَنَّ سَعْدًا، سَاوَمَهُ بَيْتًا بِأَرْبَعِمِائَةِ مِثْقَالٍ فَقَالَ لَوْلاَ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " الْجَارُ أَحَقُّ بِصَقَبِهِ ". لَمَا أَعْطَيْتُكَ. وَقَالَ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ إِنِ اشْتَرَى نَصِيبَ دَارٍ، فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يُبْطِلَ الشُّفْعَةَ، وَهَبَ لاِبْنِهِ الصَّغِيرِ وَلاَ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ يَمِينٌ.
'Amr bin Ash-Sharid Narrated from:
Abu Rafi' said that Sa'd offered him four hundred Mithqal of gold for a house. Abu Rafi ' said, "If I had not heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, 'A neighbor has more right to be taken care of by his neighbor,' then I would not have given it to you." Some people said, "If one has bought a portion of a house and wants to cancel the right of preemption, he may give it as a present to his little son and he will not be obliged to take an oath."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6978In-book reference : Book 90, Hadith 25USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 86, Hadith 107
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ، أَنَّ أَبَا رَافِعٍ، سَاوَمَ سَعْدَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ بَيْتًا بِأَرْبَعِمِائَةِ مِثْقَالٍ وَقَالَ لَوْلاَ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " الْجَارُ أَحَقُّ بِصَقَبِهِ ". مَا أَعْطَيْتُكَ.
'Amr bin Ash-Sharid Narrated from:
Abu Rafi` sold a house to Sa`d bin Malik for four-hundred Mithqal of gold, and said, "If I had not heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, 'The neighbor has more right to be taken care of by his neighbor (than anyone else),' then I would not have sold it to you."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6981In-book reference : Book 90, Hadith 28USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 86, Hadith 110
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ حُسَيْنٍ الْمُعَلِّمِ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ الشَّرِيدِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرْضٌ لَيْسَ فِيهَا لأَحَدٍ قِسْمٌ وَلاَ شِرْكٌ إِلاَّ الْجِوَارُ . قَالَ " الْجَارُ أَحَقُّ بِسَقَبِهِ " .
Sharid bin Suwaid Narrated from:
I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, (what do you think of) land owned by only one person but this land has neighbors?' He said: 'The neighbor has more right to property that is near.' ”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 2496In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 5English translation : Vol. 3, Book 17, Hadith 2496
