Speak Good, Honor Your Neighbor and Guest: Hadith 15
Contents
Many of us think good character is about big gestures. Hadith 15 of Imam an-Nawawi’s collection points somewhere closer to home: the words we say, the house next door, and the person at our door. The Prophet ﷺ tied all three to faith: speak good or remain silent, honor your neighbor, and honor your guest. Here is the hadith, what it means, and simple ways to live by it.
At a glance
- Source: Sahih Muslim 47a and Sahih al-Bukhari 6475 (Hadith 15 of an-Nawawi’s 40)
- Narrated by: Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him)
- Grade: Sahih (recorded by both al-Bukhari and Muslim)
- Topic: Good speech, neighbors and guests
- Put it into practice: Before you speak today, ask: is this good? If not, stay quiet
The hadith
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ جَارَهُ وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ
“He who believes in Allah and the Last Day should either utter good words or better keep silence; and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day should treat his neighbour with kindness and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day should show hospitality to his guest.”
Sahih Muslim 47a · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Translation from Sunnah.com
Al-Bukhari recorded it too, with the wording that a believer “should not hurt (or insult) his neighbor” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6475). Imam an-Nawawi placed it as Hadith 15 of his 40 Hadith.
What the hadith means
The Encyclopedia of Translated Prophetic Hadiths (HadeethEnc) explains that belief in Allah and the Last Day, knowing that we will be raised and repaid for our deeds, drives a person to three things:
- Good words: such as glorifying Allah, declaring His oneness, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and making peace between people. If a person has nothing good to say, he keeps silent and spares people the harm of his tongue.
- Honoring the neighbor: by being good to him and not causing him any harm.
- Honoring the guest: by speaking to him kindly, offering him food, and the like.
Among the benefits it lists: belief in Allah and the Last Day is the root of all good; the hadith warns against misusing the tongue; Islam is a religion of warmth and generosity; and talking a lot can lead to what is disliked or forbidden, so safety lies in silence unless the words are good.
Speak good or remain silent
The first instruction gives us a simple test before we speak: is it good? If it is, say it. If not, the hadith gives a clear alternative: stay quiet. We looked at the same words alongside Hadith 12, leaving what does not concern you.
The Prophet ﷺ also said that whoever can guarantee what is between his two jaw-bones and what is between his two legs, he guarantees Paradise for him (Sahih al-Bukhari 6474). The tongue comes first in that promise.
Honoring your neighbor
The neighbor is mentioned so often in the Sunnah that the Prophet ﷺ said:
مَا زَالَ يُوصِينِي جِبْرِيلُ بِالْجَارِ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيُوَرِّثُهُ
“Gabriel continued to recommend me about treating the neighbors Kindly and politely so much so that I thought he would order me to make them as my heirs.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 6014 · Narrated by ‘Aishah · Translation from Sunnah.com
Honoring a neighbor does not require being outgoing. It starts with not causing harm, and grows with kindness, help when it is needed, and a warm greeting of salam.
A personal note: I am more of an introvert and rarely mix around. But I treat my neighbors with respect, and I try to help them as much as is within my power.
Honoring your guest
Abu Shuraih al-‘Adawi (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the Prophet ﷺ tell believers to serve their guest generously and give him his due. When he was asked what the guest’s due is, he ﷺ said:
يَوْمٌ وَلَيْلَةٌ وَالضِّيَافَةُ ثَلاَثَةُ أَيَّامٍ، فَمَا كَانَ وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ فَهْوَ صَدَقَةٌ عَلَيْهِ
“(To be entertained generously) for a day and a night with high quality of food and the guest has the right to be entertained for three days (with ordinary food) and if he stays longer, what he will be provided with will be regarded as Sadaqa (a charitable gift).”
Sahih al-Bukhari 6019 · Narrated by Abu Shuraih al-‘Adawi · Translation from Sunnah.com
Reflection: all three parts of this hadith are about the people closest to us in daily life: the one listening to us, the one living next to us, and the one visiting us. Faith in the Last Day is not only felt in the heart. According to this hadith, it shows at the front door and in the next sentence we say.
How to put it into practice
The hadith does not give a routine, so these are suggestions:
- Pause before you speak, online and offline, and ask whether it is good.
- Greet your neighbors with salam when you see them, even if you are not a talker.
- Avoid what disturbs them, such as noise, blocking their way, or anything that harms them.
- Offer help when they need it, within your means.
- Welcome guests with a kind word and food, and give them generous care on the first day and night, as the hadith describes.
Key lessons
- Faith in Allah and the Last Day shows in our words and our manners.
- If the words are not good, silence is the safer choice.
- Neighbors have a great right: no harm, and kindness.
- Guests are honored with kind words, food and generous care.
Questions people ask
What does “speak good or remain silent” mean?
It means that a believer either says what is good, such as remembering Allah, enjoining good or making peace between people, or keeps silent and spares others the harm of his tongue (Encyclopedia of Translated Prophetic Hadiths (HadeethEnc)).
What does Islam say about neighbors?
The Prophet ﷺ told believers to honor their neighbors and not to hurt them (Sahih Muslim 47a, Sahih al-Bukhari 6475). He also said Jibril kept advising him about the neighbor until he thought the neighbor would be made an heir (Sahih al-Bukhari 6014).
How long should a guest be hosted in Islam?
The Prophet ﷺ said a guest is entertained generously for a day and a night, has the right to hospitality for three days, and anything beyond that counts as sadaqah (Sahih al-Bukhari 6019).
One small step for today: the next time you pass your neighbor, greet them with salam and a smile. And before your next message or comment, ask yourself the hadith’s question: is this good?
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