The remedy for the loneliness of people leaning against the same wall but not knowing each other: A plate of Ashura.
Our proverb says 'Neighbor needs neighbor's ash'. Modern man is under the delusion 'I have everything, I don't need anyone'. Yet in sickness, in a funeral, or in an emergency, the first one to run will not be your relative, but your neighbor. Living in secure complexes may protect us from thieves but not from loneliness. The neighborly relationship is society's psychological insurance. In a neighborhood where people know and look after each other, crime rates drop, peace increases. Start by greeting, the rest will follow.
The biggest test of apartment life is noise. Running the vacuum cleaner late at night, speaking loudly, or children running around... These may seem simple but are a serious violation of rights. Our Prophet says, 'He whose neighbor is not safe from his evil does not (truly) believe'. Being a good neighbor is not just doing good, but also not causing disturbance. Thinking of the person downstairs while walking, the person next door while watching TV is a Muslim delicacy (elegance).
"In the past, doors weren't locked, the neighbor's child was seen as our own. Now we hesitate to say 'hello' to our neighbor we meet in the elevator. We live in the same apartment building, one on top of another, but we don't know if each other is dead or alive. Modern 'residence' life gave us comfort but took away a tremendous safety net like 'neighborliness'. Whereas Gabriel (AS) advised our Prophet about the neighbor so much that he said 'I thought he would almost make the neighbor an heir to the neighbor'. Come, let's claim that heritage."
Neighborliness is not just asking for salt; it is a breath, a trust. If the smell of food cooking at home goes to the next apartment, it is sunnah to offer a plate of that food. Maybe the old aunt in the next apartment needs a 'how are you', maybe the student upstairs is struggling with exam stress. A plate of cookies, a smiling face breaks down those cold concrete walls in between. Make a change today, knock on the door of that neighbor you don't know. Maybe your best friend is right in the next apartment.
