In a city choked with noise, motion, and impatience, the simplest act of restraint can become a rare virtue. Yet Islam calls upon every believer to transform public spaces like roads, marketplaces, parking areas, and thoroughfares into realms of respect, responsibility, and compassion. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ once said, “Beware! Avoid sitting on the roads.” When the Companions replied, “O Messenger of Allah, we cannot help sitting there to converse,” he answered, “If you insist, then give the road its due right.” They asked, “And what are its rights?” He replied, “Lowering the gaze, refraining from harm, returning greetings, commanding good, and forbidding evil.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
This concise instruction captures the essence of neighbourly responsibility – extending beyond homes and alleys to every shared space where our paths cross with others. In today’s world of congested traffic, road rage, blaring horns, and careless parking, these Prophetic manners are not merely desirable; they are indispensable for a civilised society.
The Road as a Moral Space
The road, in Islam, is not a neutral strip of coaltar but a moral space entrusted to all. Each person using it, whether driving, walking, cycling, or selling goods, has rights that others must honour. The Qur’an instructs:
“And do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth [apart], and you will never reach the mountains in height.” (Al-Isra 17:37)
This ayah reminds us that arrogance and haste, whether on foot or behind the wheel, corrupt the harmony of society. The believer’s movement, even in traffic, must be humble and conscious. A Muslim driver, therefore, is not just steering a vehicle but embodying trust (amanah) and justice (adl) in motion.
The Test of Character on the Road
Few places test patience and self-control like a crowded road. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The strong person is not the one who overpowers others in wrestling, but the one who controls himself when angry.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
In contemporary traffic, anger appears through honking, shouting, tailgating, or risky overtaking. The urge to “teach someone a lesson” often results in accidents or disputes. However, Islam promotes forbearance (hilm) above retaliation. The Prophet ﷺonce endured a man who rudely pulled his cloak, demanding payment, yet responded calmly. This dignity of restraint truly signifies faith, even when provoked.
To stop at a red light, to yield to pedestrians, or to let an ambulance pass swiftly is not weakness; it is moral strength. Every act of patience on the road is a form of charity (sadaqah). As the Prophet ﷺsaid, “Removing a harmful object from the path is charity.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
The Sin of Causing Harm
It is sadly common to witness people blocking streets during weddings, religious processions, or political rallies. Loudspeakers blare, decorations spill over footpaths, and vehicles are parked haphazardly – all for moments of individual or community pride. Yet each of these actions inflicts collective suffering on others: delayed ambulances, stranded workers, anxious parents, and exhausted commuters.
Islam is explicit on this matter. The Prophet ﷺdeclared, “A Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand others are safe.” (Sahih al-Bukhari) Blocking public ways or creating disturbance violates this core definition of a Muslim. Such behaviour, even when done in the name of celebration or religion, contradicts the spirit of rahmah (mercy) and adab (courtesy) that Islam enjoins.
In early Islamic society, the Caliphs were vigilant about public convenience. Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) ordered that no construction or gathering should obstruct public pathways, reminding citizens that the rights of wayfarers are sacred. A wedding, a festival, or a protest that inconveniences hundreds cannot be justified in the sight of Allah.
The Etiquette of Shared Parking
Parking spaces, especially in cities, have become another arena of daily moral testing. People occupy two slots for one vehicle, block driveways, or reserve spaces unlawfully. Islam teaches that public resources are a shared trust, not to be monopolised.
The Prophet ﷺwarned against any unjust claim over common benefit: “Muslims are partners in three things – water, pasture, and fire.” (Sunan Abu Dawood)
The principle extends to today’s shared utilities and spaces. Just as one must not hoard water, one must not occupy or misuse a public area meant for all.In shared parking lots – whether at mosques, offices, flats or markets – leaving room for others, parking within the lines, and avoiding double-parking are acts of justice and respect. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ once said, “Allah loves that when any of you does a task, he perfects it.” (Al-Bayhaqi)Parking properly is, therefore, an act of ihsan– excellence in conduct.
The Ethical Use of Horn and Voice
Noise pollution is one of the most neglected forms of public harm. Constant honking, shouting at traffic marshals, or arguing with fellow drivers reflects a failure of self-restraint. The Qur’an gently guides:“And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; indeed, the most disagreeable of sounds is the voice of donkeys.”(Luqman 31:19)
Good manners in speech extend to every situation, including public places like roads and markets. A believer avoids raising his voice unnecessarily because dignity lies in calmness. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Gentleness is not found in anything but that it beautifies it, and it is not removed from anything but that it makes it ugly.” (Sahih Muslim)
Universal Values in Motion
Islamic etiquette on roads and in shared spaces aligns naturally with universal civic values. Respect for others’ time, property, and comfort is a shared human ethic. Courtesy, patience, and empathy are not the monopoly of any faith but the essence of all moral systems.
Modern traffic rules – stopping for pedestrians, giving way to emergency vehicles, avoiding honking near hospitals – mirror Islamic injunctions on compassion and justice. The Qur’an’s repeated command, “Do not cause corruption on earth,” encompasses the subtle harms of chaos, noise, and indiscipline that disrupt social order.
The Right of Neighbours and the Public
The theme of Rights of Neighbours extends naturally to public life. In the Islamic worldview, a neighbour is not only one living beside your house but also one who shares your path, your lane, your workplace, or your daily commute.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “By Allah, he is not a believer, he is not a believer, he is not a believer – whose neighbour is not safe from his harm.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
If causing discomfort to a neighbour by noise or parking is sinful, then causing distress to hundreds on the road is far graver. The Prophet ﷺ even advised against parking animals or vehicles in a way that blocks people’s movement – a timeless principle of spatial ethics.
The Spiritual Dimension of Order
Cleanliness, order, and discipline are spiritual virtues. The Prophet ﷺ loved symmetry and disliked chaos, whether in rows for prayer or in public behaviour. A society that follows traffic rules, respects shared spaces, and values others’ time is, in fact, practising collective worship through discipline.
Driving responsibly is an act of gratitude for life and safety; obeying signals is obedience to law – and Allah loves those who uphold justice even in small matters. When one avoids blocking an intersection or parks considerately, one is fulfilling a social amanah — a trust.
Towards a Culture of Respect
Our cities need not be arenas of aggression and impatience. They can become reflections of our faith – clean, orderly, and compassionate. A courteous driver, a thoughtful pedestrian, or a considerate event organiser performs silent da’wah by embodying Islamic ethics in action.
It is time we revive the Prophetic understanding that roads are sacred trusts, not personal territories. Every horn we restrain, every pedestrian we allow to pass, and every car we park correctly becomes a deed recorded in our favour.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Faith consists of more than sixty branches, and the highest of them is to say ‘La ilahaillallah’ (there is no god but Allah); the lowest of them is to remove something harmful from the road.” (Sahih Muslim)
Faith, then, is not only professed in mosques but also practised on roads, in markets, and in parking lots.
The Road as a Reflection of the Soul
The real test of civilisation is not found in our monuments or technologies but in how we treat one another in the ordinary spaces of life. Roads and public places are where faith meets behaviour, where inner morality takes physical form.
If every citizen remembered that “every path has rights,” our cities would breathe more easily, our commutes would become acts of worship, and our roads would mirror the peace that Islam promises.
To be a good neighbour, after all, is not only to share walls but to share the world responsibly.