In another narration recorded by Muslim: “He shall not enter Paradise whose neighbor is not safe from his bawaʾiq (calamities and harm).”

4/306 – Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) also reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “O Muslim women, let no neighbor look down on the gift of her neighbor, even if it is only a sheep’s hoof.” Agreed upon.

5/307 – Abū Hurayrah further reported that the Messenger ﷺ said, “A neighbor must not prevent his neighbor from driving a wooden peg into his wall.” Abū Hurayrah would then add, “Why do I see you turning away from this? By Allah, I will fling it between your shoulders!” Agreed upon.

It is related both in the form “his wooden pegs” (possessive plural) and “a wooden peg” (indefinite singular). His words, “Why do I see you turning away from it?” refer to people neglecting this Sunnah.

[Commentary]

The author—may Allah have mercy on him—entitled this chapter “The Neighbor’s Rights and the Command to Uphold Them.”

A neighbor is the one whose house adjoins yours or is close to it. Some reports indicate that the neighborhood covers forty houses in every direction. There is no doubt that the dwelling that abuts your own belongs to a neighbor. As for houses beyond that, if authentic reports from the Prophet ﷺ establish a specific boundary, then the truth lies with what he stated; otherwise, the matter returns to common usage: whatever people regard as neighboring is deemed a neighbor.