On the authority of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good things or keep silent. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be courteous and generous to his neighbor. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be courteous and generous to his [traveling] visitor.” Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

1. “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day”
2. “should speak good things or keep silent”
   • Speaking Good Things
   • Remaining Silent
3. “Should be courteous and generous to his neighbor”
   • The Shareeah Definition of Neighbor
4. “should be courteous and generous to his [traveling] visitor”
   • Is This Obligatory or Voluntary?
   • The Length of the Stay
5. Other Points Related to this Hadith
6. Summary of the Hadith

General Comments about the Hadith: This hadith describes how the one who wishes to be a true believer must behave towards others. Al-Haitami states that this hadith is deserving to be called one-third of Islam since it covers all of the rulings concerning the tongue. He says that deeds are either of the tongue, the heart, or the physical body. This hadith covers the last third. He also points out that this hadith is very similar in meaning to the hadith that states, “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” He says that everyone is a neighbor to someone else. Therefore, if this hadith is truly applied, then the society will be filled with love and closeness toward one another.

1. “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day”

In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned three characteristics of those who truly believe in Allah and the Last Day. These acts are part of complete Imaan. This implies that the one who does not have these characteristics is not a true and complete believer. If someone claims to himself that he is a true and complete believer, then he must possess these characteristics. If a Muslim finds himself not having these characteristics, it should make him realize that there is room for improvement in his religion. He is not as close to Allah as he should be. He may not be among those people whom Allah is pleased with and will enter directly into Paradise without any punishment at all.

Note that in this hadith the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) only mentioned belief in Allah and the Last Day. This is done as a kind of encouragement for people to have those characteristics mentioned in the hadith. It will be on the Last Day that everyone will be held accountable for his deeds. These deeds include what the person ever said, how he treated his neighbor and how he treated his visitors. If he has not behaved properly in these matters, his recompense will be on the Day of Judgment. Hence, the explicit mention of the Last Day should be a reminder and driving factor that will lead every believer to ensure that he truly has the characteristics that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned in this hadith.

Note that the deeds that make up faith are sometimes related to the “rights of Allah” and sometimes related to the “rights of human beings”. The “rights of Allah” include fulfilling the obligatory deeds and avoiding the forbidden deeds. This includes speaking only good things and remaining silent instead of speaking evil or harmful things. The “rights of other humans” includes honoring and being generous to one’s visitors and being generous to one’s neighbors. All of these deeds are a must for the true believer. This shows the emphasis that Islam has not only on the ritual acts of worship but also on the relationship and interaction between humans themselves.

2.”should speak good things or keep silent”

The first characteristic that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned in this hadith concerns the tongue. The person who believes in Allah and the Last Day is to be careful about his speech. Allah has stated a fact in the Quran that should serve as a clear warning to all believers about their speech:

“And indeed We have created man, and We know what his oneself whispers to him. And We are nearer to him [by Our knowledge] than his jugular vein. [Remember] that the two receivers [recording angels] receive [each human after the age of puberty], one sitting on the right and one on the left. Not a word does he utter but there is a watcher by him ready [to record it]” (Qaaf 16-18).

As was briefly mentioned while discussing Hadith #12, a person’s tongue is something that quite often leads the person to commit sins and, may thereby, lead him to Hell. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

“Verily, a servant [human] makes a statement and he does not realize what [harm] it contains and because of it he is lowered in the Fire a distance which is greater than what is between the East and the West.” (Recorded by alBukhari.)

However, one’s speech does not always have negative results. It can also be a key to pleasing Allah. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) also said, “A servant makes a statement that is so pleasing to Allah, although he himself does not give it much concern, that Allah raises him levels due to it. And a servant makes a statement that is so displeasing to Allah, although he himself does not give it much concern, that he is thrown because of it into Hell.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.)

The true believer recognizes this fact. He realizes that what he says may either be pleasing or displeasing to Allah. Therefore, he weighs his statement before he says it. If it finds that it is good, then he says it. Ifhe finds that it is evil, he refrains from saying it. Even if he finds that it is of no benefit, he still remains silent and does not speak. Hence, if they are good words, he speaks. If what he was thinking of saying was either evil or of no benefit, what one could call neutral, he remains silent and does not speak. This means that there is no in between. Either the speech is good and he should speak it or it is not good, including neutral, and therefore he should not speak it.

The Salaf were very careful about speaking too much. They realized that if one is not careful about his tongue, it may lead him to commit many sins. In fact, Umar once said, “The one who speaks a lot commits lots of mistakes. The one who makes lots of mistakes commits lots of sins. The one who commits lots of sins will have the Hell-fire as the first place for him.

This hadith also implies that if there is some good thing that needs to be said, then one should say it. In that case, it is better to speak than to be quiet. Indeed, this act is preferred over a person being quiet because the benefit of it goes not only to himself but also to others. When one is silent when he should speak, this could be a great sin. Such is the case with the person who sees an evil and has the shareeah means to speak about it but he does not do so. Abu al-Diqaaq once said, “Whoever is silent concerning the truth is a mute Satan.”

Thus, silence is not always to be preferred. However, silence is always to be preferred to speech that is not beneficial or good. Hence, there are two extremes that one must avoid with respect to speaking: (1) one should not speak beyond what is needed or good (this is the “speaking devil”) and (2) one should not remain silent when there is a need to speak (this is the “mute devil”).

2.1 Speaking Good Things

There are numerous types of speech that fall under this category of speaking good things. The most obvious examples of beneficial speech is speech which consists of reciting the Quran, remembrance of Allah and supplications. Herein just a few other examples shall be mentioned- those that merit great reward in the sight of Allah

1. Putting things right between people who are differing from one another for some reason: A hadith in Sunan Abu Dawood states, “Shall I not inform of you a deed which is more virtuous than fasting, prayer and giving in charity?” They said, “Certainly, 0 Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).” He said, “It is that you make things right between people. Spoiling the relations between people is the cutter [that destroys].”
2. Ordering good and eradicating evil: This is one of the most important responsibilities upon the Muslim nation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned one particular method which is clearly related to one’s speech “The leader of the martyrs is Hamzah ibn Abdul Mutalib and a man who stands up to an unjust ruler and orders him [to do what is right] and forbids him [to do what is evil], so he [the ruler] kills him.”
3. Guiding others to what is best for them, whether it be related to a religious or a worldly matter: The Prophet (peace be upon him) once said, “The man who guides to what is good shall have the same reward as the one who performs that [good].” (Recorded by Muslim.)
4. Striving and making jihad against the disbelievers by one’s speech: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Strive (make jihad) against the polytheists with your wealth, your hands and your tongues.”

2.2 Remaining Silent

This is the second option for the true believer. Either he will speak the good things or he will remain silent. This is his second option because if a speech is not clearly positive and beneficial, it can easily lead to something very negative and harmful. Even the permissible speech may often times lead to indulging in speech which is no longer simply permissible. It may be hard for some people, once they start speaking, to realize where they should stop as they move from the neutral to the harmful speech.

Furthermore, when one considers all of the many ways by which one’s speech could be harmful and sinful, one will be very careful in his speech. Above was noted some of the beneficial types of speech. The list of negative or harmful types of speech is quite long. People may easily fall into anyone of them. They include backbiting, lying, false witness, ridiculing others, spreading harmful tales, arguing for no beneficial purpose, joking in ways that are not permissible, cursing, abusing others, spreading others’ secrets, breaking promises and so forth.

Here is more detail about some of the most commonly found forms of harmful speech

(i) Backbiting: Backbiting is to say something truthful behind one’s brother’s back that the brother would not like to have said about him. This is one type of harmful speech that perhaps everyone realizes its evil, yet very few- those whose hearts Allah has guided- truly and completely remain away from it. It is sufficient to mention the verse of the Quran dealing with backbiting to realize how harmful this is to a person’s relationship with Allah. Allah has said, “And do not backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it [so hate backbiting]. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One who accepts repentance, Most Merciful” (al-Hujuraat 12).

(ii) Al-Nameemah (this is the spreading of information about others with the purpose of causing dissent and evil): A hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari describes a person as being punished in the grave because of his act of nameemah.

(iii) Lying: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “You must adhere to honesty, for honesty leads to righteousness. And, verily, righteousness leads to Paradise. A person continues being honest and seeking honesty until he is recorded with Allah as an honest person. You must remain away from lying for lying leads to wickedness. And, verily, wickedness leads to the Fire. A person continues lying and seeking falsehood until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.” (Recorded by Muslim.)

(iv) Speaking about Allah or His religion without knowledge: This is one of the greatest sins. Almost all kufr and shirk (associating partners with Allah) emanate from speaking about Allah without knowledge. In the following verse, Allah goes from the lighter to the greater sins and leaves speaking about Allah without knowledge last: “Say [O Muhammad): The things that my Lord has forbidden are evil, lewd acts, whether committed openly or secretly, sins [of all kinds], unrightful oppression, joining partners [in worship] with Allah for which He has given no authority and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge” (alAraaf 33).

Allah also says, “He [Satan] commands you only what is evil and lewd, and that you should say about Allah that which you do not know” (al-Baqara 169). lbn Hajr states that before a person speaks, he should think about what he is going to say. If he knows that there is no harm, forbidden or disliked aspect about what he is going to say, he may speak. However, if he finds that his speech is of a permissible nature, even then it is better for him to be quiet in order to make sure that the permissible speech does not lead to some disliked or forbidden speech.

3. “Should be courteous and generous to his neighbor”

This hadith demonstrates the relationship between true belief (iman) in Allah and the Last Day and how one treats his neighbor. Being courteous and generous to one’s neighbor includes helping him when they need assistance, visiting them when they are ill and general checking on their welfare. Abu Bakr al-Jazairi wrote,

One should demonstrate goodness towards one neighbor by: helping them when they seek help, assisting them if they seek assistance, visiting them when they fall ill, congratulating them if something pleasing occurs to them, giving them condolences upon afflictions, helping them if they are in need, being the first to greet them, being kind in speech to them, being gentle in one’s speech to the neighbor’s children, guiding them to what is best for their religion and worldly life, overlooking their mistakes, not attempting to look into their private matters, not constraining them with one’s building or renovations or along the walkway, and not harming them by letting one’s trash onto their property or in front of their household. All of those actions form part of the goodness that one is ordered to perform in Allah’s command [in the verse to be quoted shortly].

The Quran and sunnah place great emphasis on treating one’s neighbor well. Indeed, in the following verse, the order to treat neighbors well comes shortly after the command to worship Allah alone: “Worship Allah and join none with Him in worship, and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, the poor who beg, the neighbor who is a near of kin, the neighbor who is a non-relative, the companion by your side, the wayfarer [you meet], and what your right hands possess. Verily, Allah does not like such as are proud and boastful” (al-Nisaa 36).

In this verse, Allah has combined His rights over His servants with the servants’ rights over each other. Among the servants, a person must treat the following five classes especially well:

1. Those that are related to him, especially his parents;
2. Those who are weak and in need;
3. Those with whom he mixes and sees on a regular basis, such as neighbors;
4. Those who come upon a person on a temporary basis, such as a wayfarer; and
5. The slaves that one possesses. In this last category, some of the Salaf also included what one possesses of animals.

There is a difference of opinion concerning the meaning of the words and al-Hillali have translated these phrases as, “neighbor who is a near of kin,” and, “neighbor who is a stranger,” respectively. One of the interpretations is that the first phrase means a neighbor who is also a relative while the second phrase means a neighbor who is not a relative. This is the majority opinion. Another interpretation is that the first phrase means a neighbor who is close in physical proximity while the second phrase means neighbors who are further away. Yet a third interpretation says that the first phrase means a neighbor who is a Muslim while the second phrase refers to non-Muslim neighbors. 1 A fourth interpretation is that the first phrase means one’s wife2 while the second phrase means one’s companion while traveling.

In any case, the scholars have concluded that there are three types of neighbors:

1. a neighbor who is also a relative and a Muslim. This type of neighbor has three types of rights over the person (that of being a neighbor, a relative and a brother Muslim).
2. a neighbor who is not a relative but is a Muslim. This neighbor has two types of rights over the person.
3. a neighbor who is neither a relative nor a Muslim. This neighbor only has the right of a neighbor, and none other.

3.1 The Shareeah Definition of Neighbor

Before mentioning other hadith about the importance of treating one’s neighbor well, the shareeah definition of “a neighbor” should be given. The jurists have differed concerning the exact definition of “neighbor.” One opinion is that a person’s neighborhood extends forty houses in each direction. This was the opinion of al-Hasan, al-Zuhri and al-Auzaai. According to the Shafi’ ees, it is the correct opinion and most of the Hanbalis also hold this opinion.

A second opinion is that one’s neighbors are only those whose houses are adjoining, either from the back or front. This was the view of Abu Hanifah and his student Zufar. This is also the view of the Malikis. Some add the house that is facing a person’s house. A third opinion is that it is the adjoining houses and others in an area, all of whose inhabitants prayer in the same mosque. This was the opinion of Abu Yusuf and Muhammad of the Hanafi school. It is also an opinion held by some of the Malikis.

A fourth opinion is that the term refers to everyone who lives in a district or a city. A fifth opinion is that it refers to a person’s tribe. Qataada even stated that it refers to one or two houses next to a person. In his master’s thesis, Abdul Rahmaan Faayi reviewed all of the above opinions and the evidences presented for them. He found that their evidences were lacking. Indeed, many times those opinions were based on weak hadith. Faayi’s conclusion is the opinion of ibn Qudaamah, the Hanbali jurist and Sideeq Hasan Khan. He defines neighbor as those people who live close to each other.

The shareeah did not lay down any strict definition for who exactly is or is not a neighbor- this is why there are so many varied opinions on the definition of neighbor. In cases like that, then, the final decision is based on language and custom. Who is considered a neighbor according to a people’s language and custom is a neighbor. Who is not such considered a neighbor is not a neighbor. Faayi’s conclusion seems to be the proper conclusion, Allah willing.

Other Hadith Related to Kind Treatment to One’s Neighbors: There are a number of other hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) stressed the importance of treating neighbors well. In some of them, the Prophet (peace be upon him) also mentioned the relationship between being a true believer and behaving well towards one’s neighbor. For example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“Gabriel kept advising me concerning the neighbor to the point that I thought he would inherit [from his neighbor].” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not harm is neighbor.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Another hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim states, The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “By Allah, he is not a believer. By Allah, he is not a believer. By Allah, he is not a believer.” It was said to him, “Who is that, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)?” He said, “The one from whose affairs his neighbor is not safe.”

One time the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about a woman who performed lots of prayers, fasted and gave charity but she used to harm her neighbor by her speech. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that she is in the Hell-fire. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about a woman who did not fast, pray or give in charity much [more than what was obligatory upon her] but she would not harm her neighbors. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that she is in Paradise. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also demonstrated specific ways by which one is generous or courteous to his neighbor. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) once said to Abu Dharr,

“O Abu Dharr, when you prepare stew, increase its water and deliver it to some of your neighbors.” (Recorded by Muslim.) Actually, a Muslim can know if he is fulfilling the condition of true faith mentioned in this hadith. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about how one could tell if he was treating his neighbors well, he said, “If you hear them saying, ‘You have done well,’ then you have done well. If you hear them saying, ‘You have done evil,’ then you have done evil. “

If a Muslim is harmed by his neighbor, he should try his best to be patient. By doing this, Allah will love him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) once said “There are three people who Allah loves … [One of them is] a man who is being harmed by his neighbor but he is patient until they are separated by death or one moves away.” Al-Hasan al-Basri once said, “Being good to one’s neighbor does not [just] mean keeping from harming him but being good to a neighbor means putting up with [his] harm.

However, if the person is not able to be patient or if the problem is too much for him to bear, he may take some polite steps to remedy the situation. A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to complain about his neighbor and the Prophet told him to be patient. The third or fourth time he complained, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told him to put his belongings in the path. He did so and when the people tried to pass by it, they would ask why he did that and he would say that his neighbor had harmed him. They would then curse that neighbor until the bothersome neighbor said to him, “Take back your belongings to your place as, by Allah, I will never harm you again. “

4. “should be courteous and generous to his [traveling] visitor”

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then mentioned that the believer in Allah and the Last Day is generous to his visitors. He is kind and courteous to his visitor. This also means that one prepares food for the visitor and takes care of his other needs, making sure that he is comfortable without extravagance or waste. This implies that anywhere a Muslim travels, he will feel right at home when he comes upon his Muslim brethren. They will take him in and give him his full rights. This increases the feeling of brotherhood and love among the Muslim Ummah as a whole.

The first point that must be discussed concerning this portion of the hadith is the meaning of the word, dhaif (u,;..a). It is usually translated as “guest”. That is definitely one of the meanings of the word u,;..a but it may not give its proper connotation here. In this hadith, however, the reference is to visitors that come from out of town to a person’s home or city. One of the evidences for this opinion is another narration of this hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari which states,

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should be generous to his guest. His jaaizah [special gift] is one day and night. He is to be entertained for three days. Whatever is beyond that is an act of charity. It is not lawful for a guest to stay with his host to the point that he makes things difficult for him.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.) This is not in reference to a “guest” that one invites from the same town. It is in reference to visitors who have come from out of town.

4.1 Is This Obligatory or Voluntary?

There is a difference of opinion about whether or not this hosting of a guest is obligatory or a greatly recommended voluntary act. Some scholars say that the one day jaaizah is obligatory. They deduce this the following hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari:

On the authority ofUqbah ibn Amir who said: We said, “O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), you send us out and it happens that we have to stay with such people who do not entertain us. What is your opinion of that matter?” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to us, “If you stay with some people and they entertain you as they should do a visitor, accept it. But if they do not do so, then you should take from them the right of the visitor, which they ought to give.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.)

Ahmad and al-Laith are of the opinion that this one day hosting is obligatory. If a people do not give it to visitors, they have the right to request it. According to this view, if a people do refuse this one day hosting, do the visitors have the right to take it from their hosts or must they refer the matters to the authorities? On this point, there are two narrations from Ahmad, one saying they may take it and the other saying that they can only refer it to the authorities.’ According to Humaid ibn Zanjuwaih, the hosting of one night is an obligation. However, the guest may not take his right by force unless he is traveling for the sake of the Muslim community, such as jihad, and not if he is traveling for his own benefit. In the hadith from Uqbah above, it is clear that they were sent out by the Prophet (peace be upon him). In other words, they were traveling on behalf of the Muslim community and not for their own personal interest

However, the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that the hosting, in general, is recommended and not obligatory. It is a noble and great act but it is not obligatory upon the Muslim. They say that the hadith of Uqbah was in relation to the early periods oflslam, when there was a stress on sharing all that one had. After that, when the situation got easier on the people, such was no longer an obligation. One of the arguments they present is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used the word jaaizah. This implies a kind of voluntary gift or present to the other person. They argue that such a word would not be used in the context of something being obligatory. Also, the word be “generous,” has the implication that the action is not obligatory.

Al-Shaukaani has presented a number of arguments to prove that the opinion stating that the hosting is voluntary and not obligatory is an incorrect opinion. First, he indicated that there is no evidence that the hadith of Uqbah was related to the early periods of lslam only. Second, he said that ifthe people can take the provisions themselves or request it, this is a clear sign that it is obligatory. Third, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has made this a sign of true belief in Allah and the Last Day. This implies that one who does not do it is not a true believer. Fourth, the fact that what is beyond those three days is called sadaqa or charity is a clear sign that the previous days were not sadaqa but an obligation. Furthermore, the word (be generous) is actually in the form of an imperative or command. This further lends evidence that it is obligatory.

Although it is the opinion of a small minority of the scholars, it seems that the strongest opinion is the view that hosting is an obligation, in particular for the first day and night, upon the one who has the excess means to do so. Allah knows best. In any case, it is certain that the one who truly believes in Allah and the Last Day will be generous and courteous to his visitor.

4.2 The Length of the Stay

As noted above, Ahmad and al-Laith consider the first day hosting to be obligatory. As for the second and third days, they are what can be called the completion of one’s act of hosting. According to Ahmad, only the first day is obligatory as the jaaizah is more stressed in the texts than the other days. However, some scholars, including al-Amidi, consider all three days to be obligatory.

Some people are of the opinion that the total number of days are actually four: one day for the jaaizah and then three more days of hosting. However, this seems to be a weak opinion. Ibn Umar, for example, would refuse to consume anything of his host’s wealth after three days. After three days, he would spend his own money on himself. In fact, the owner of the house can order the person to leave after three days. He has fulfilled his obligation and the visitor is not allowed to be a burden on him.

The hadith quoted above states, “And it is not lawful for a guest to stay with his host to the point that he makes things difficult for him. ” If a visitor is requested or it is clear that there is no problem for him to stay for more than three days, then he may stay for more than three days. However, if a visitor is staying with a host for more than three days and causes him difficulty, there is no question that such a visitor is sinful. This is clear from the hadith.

However, there is a difference of opinion about whether or not this also applies to the first three days. That is, even if it is the guest’s right, must he forego that right if he would be causing his host difficulties and hardship? Many scholars are of the view that if the host is not able to accommodate the visitor, then he is not obliged to do so and he is not sinful on that account.

Salmaan al-Faarsi stated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade them from going beyond what they can easily provide to a visitor. Therefore, if a host does not have anything beyond what he or his family needs, then he is not obliged to host the visitor. However, if he sacrifices his own needs for the sake of the visitor, this is a virtuous deed and a great kindness on his part. Such was the case with some of the Ansar residents of Madinah who sacrificed their food and their children’s food for the sake of their guests. Obviously, though this is a great voluntary deed but it cannot be considered obligatory upon the host.

5. Other Points Related to this Hadith

• In general, human beings are social creatures. Out of necessity, they have certain relationships with other members of society. Islam seeks to make sure that these relationships are guided by sound principles. Islam teaches that one should restrain one’s tongue from harmful speech. Islam also teaches that one should be generous and kind to one’s neighbor and visitors. These principles go a long way in making sure that society as a whole is a united, cooperative society.
• The restraining of one ‘s tongue is truly a sign of complete faith. Al-Fudhail once said, “There is no Hajj, no guarding the enemy lines and no jihad which is more difficult than restraining the tongue.”
• A person is always either silent or speaking. If he is speaking good things, it is beneficial for him. If he is speaking useless or harmful things, then it is a loss for him. If he is silent when he should be speaking good things, this is also a loss for him. However, if he is silent when he could be speaking useless or harmful things, this is beneficial for him.
• One of the guidelines that will help a person know what he should or should not say is that a person should refrain from saying anything that he feels like he will have to apologize for in the future. One time a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to advise him in a succinct and concise manner. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told him three things, one of which was, “Do not say any word that [you believe] you will have to apologize for tomorrow.”
• There is no source whatsoever for being silent as an act of worship, as some Sufis and Christian monks do. Such an act is a heresy and cannot be considered pleasing to Allah.
• Ibn Abdul Barr once said, “If a person has three qualities, then there can be no doubt about his intelligence and virtue. [These three qualities are] that he is praised by his neighbors, relatives and companions.”
• According to many scholars, the obligation of hosting does not extend to evildoers and heretics. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Do not be a companion except to a believer and do not have anyone eat your food except a pious person.” It is not allowed to show support and mercy for them as this increases their ease in doing the wrong they are doing. Others say that this ruling also applies to such people. Probably, Allah knows best, the correct view is to look at the overall benefit or harm of treating such people in a kind or harsh manner.

6. Summary of the Hadith

• Those people who are true and complete believers can be described by specific characteristics. If one does not have those specific characteristics, it means that in those matters he is not completing his faith and there is room for improvement.
• A true believer will only speak when it is good and beneficial to speak. Otherwise, he would remain silent.
• If a Muslim is not treating his neighbors well, even his non-Muslim
  neighbors, then he is not fulfilling that condition of faith. That is, he has a shortcoming in his Imaan.
• If a Muslim is not being generous and courteous to his visitors from out of town, he is not fulfilling one of the obligatory parts of his faith.