Remember your neighbours’ rights
Something tasty was cooking on the hob, its vapour slurped up by the extractor fan and exhaled across our driveway. Amidst conversation the following day, our neighbour smiled. ‘Dinner smelt nice last night,’ he said, ‘I almost knocked the door and invited myself in.’ Just then that hadith hit me:
‘Do not oppress your neighbour with the smell of your food without sharing some of it with him.’
And in the next instant I was thinking of a friend across town, up on the Council Estate on the hill adjacent to ours. Every time his wife cooks, their neighbours get their share. The moment the scent of curry drifts out into the street, they know not to worry about dinner that night. Tis the sunnah in action, alive and well.
So remember the rights of your neighbours. Don’t covet your box of mangos, however tasty you think they are. Shed the last ones gladly. And may Allah reward you too.
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The solution, quite simply, is to cook food that doesn’t smell
— noted by WM 4:30 pm on 30th July, 2009 .
Oh welcome back Anon, I’ve missed you.
— noted by Timothy 5:02 pm on 30th July, 2009 .
Now I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
— noted by WM 10:24 pm on 30th July, 2009 .
As-Salaamu ‘alaikum,
Still more, don’t oppress him with food he can’t stand the smell of and wouldn’t eat and rather would not get on the clothes on his line.
— noted by Yusuf Smith 8:56 pm on 7th August, 2009 .
I hope you’re not referring to my cooking, Yusuf. Surely it’s not that notorious; that news has reached south London.
— noted by Timothy 8:35 pm on 8th August, 2009 .
As-Salaamu ‘alaikum,
No … I was thinking about people who have barbecues and let their smoke blow across the fence and stink out the whole neighbourhood. Particularly when they cook haraam food, but with non-Muslims you can only expect that I suppose.
— noted by Yusuf Smith 9:07 pm on 8th August, 2009 .
Uhhubbak f’illah bro.
— noted by Anon 10:15 pm on 10th August, 2009 .
as-Salaamu ‘alaykum and Ramadan Mubarik Timothy. Amusing to be sure but sound advice nonetheless.
P.S. I picked up your book. I look forward to reading it, in sha’Allah.
— noted by Marc Manley 1:57 pm on 2nd September, 2009 .