Sunnats and Aadaab when dealing with neighbours – 3

8. If your Muslim neighbour is hosting an unislamic function that is not recognized and condemned in shariah (e.g. a birthday party, new year’s lunch/dinner, forty day gathering after the demise of the deceased, or any gathering that is based on innovation (bidah), or a gathering where there is intermingling of the sexes or there is music or photography etc.), then one should not accept the invitation and one should not attend.

If one is able to advise his neighbour and guide him towards leaving out the wrong and towards following that which shariah has commanded then he should do so. Otherwise, he should make dua for him and ask someone who is close to him to advise him in these matters.

عن عمرو بن الحارث ، أن رجلا دعا عبد الله بن مسعود إلى وليمة ، فلما جاء ليدخل سمع لهوا ، فلم يدخل ، فقال : ما لك رجعت ؟ قال : إني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول : من كثر سواد قوم فهو منهم (إتحاف الخيرة المهرة، الرقم: 3297)

Hazrat Amr bin Haarith (rahimahullah) reports that a person once invited Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) to a waleemah. As he drew close to the gathering, he heard the sound of music being played at the waleemah, and immediately turned away and refrained from attending.

When he was later asked as to why he had returned and did not attend, he said, “I heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) saying, ‘The one who adds to the numbers of a people (involved in sin) will be counted from among them (in the sight of Allah Ta‘ala).’”

عن ابن عمر قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم. (سنن أبي داود، الرقم: 4033)

Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (radhiyallahu anhuma) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “The one who emulates a people will be counted from amongst them (in the sight of Allah Ta’ala).”

Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) mentioned:

إنا كنا أذل قوم فأعزنا الله بالإسلام فمهما نطلب العز بغير ما أعزنا الله به أذلنا الله

“We were the most disgraced of people. Allah Ta’ala then gave us honour through Islam. If we ever seek honour in something besides that through which Allah Ta’ala has honoured us (Islam), Allah Ta’ala will disgrace us.”