Some guidelines for reforming the home.✔

The Home Inside And Out.

32. Choosing a good location and design.
No doubt the true muslim pays attention to choice and design of a home in ways that other do not.

With regard to location, for example:

The home should be closer to mosque. This has obvious advantages:
🔸the call to prayer will remind people of prayer and wake them up for it.

🔸living close to the mosque will enable men to join the congregational prayers, women to listen to the Qur'aan recitation and dhikr over the mosques loudspeaker and, children to join study-circles for memorization of Qur'aan, and so on.

The home should not be in a building where there are immortal people, or in a compound where kuffar live and where there is a mixed swimming pool and so on.
The house should not overlook others or be overlooked, if it is, he shoud put up curtaims and make walls and fences higher.

With regard to design and layout, for example:

🔸He should pay attention to the matter of segregating men and women when non-mehrams come to visit, e.g. separate entrances and sitting areas. If that cannot be done, then use should be made of curtains, screens and so on.

🔸Covering windows, so that neighbours or people in the street will not be able to see who is in the house, especially at night when the lights are on.

🔸The toilets should not be sited in such a way that one faces the qiblah when using them.

🔸Choosing a spacious house with plenty of amenities. This is for a number of reasons:

Allah loves to see the sighns of His blessings on His slave.
(Narrated by Iam Thirmidi,no.2819)

There are 3 elements of happiness and 3 elements of misery.
The elements of happiness are: a righteous wife, who when you see her she pleases you, and when you are absent from her you feel that you can trust her with regard to herself and your wealth, a compliant riding-beast that helps to keep with your companions, and a house that is spacious and has plenty of amenities.

The elements of misery are: a wife who when you see her you feel upset, she keeps attacking you verbally, and when you are absent from her you do not feel that you can trust her with regard to herself and your wealth, a stubborn riding-beast that if whip it, it does not help you to keep up with your companions, and a house with few amenities.
(Narrated by Imam Haakim,3/262)

38. Choosing the neighbour before the house.

This is matter which has to be singled out for discussion because of its importance.

Nowadays, neighbours have more impact on one another, because houses are closer together and people live together in buildings, apartments and compuonds.

The Massenger of Allah (pbuh) told us of four causes of happiness, one of which is righteous neighbour, and four causes of misery, one of which is a bad neighbour.
(reported by Imam Abu Naeem in al-Hilyah,8/388)

Because of the seriousness of the latter, the prophet (pbuh) used to seek refuge with Allah from bad neighbours in his duaas: Allahumma innee aoodhu bika min jaar al-soo fi daar ilmuqaamah fa inn ajaar al-baadiyah yatahawwil. (O Allah, I seek refuge with you from a bad neighbour in my permanent home, for the neighbour in the desert (i.e. on the journey) moves on.)

He commanded the Muslims to seek refuge with Allah fron a bad neighbour in a permanent  home because the neighbours in the desert will eventually move on .
(Reported by Imam Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad, no. 117)

There is no room here to talk about the influence a bad neighbour may have on a couple and their children, or the kids of nuisance he can cause, or the misery of living next to him. But applying these ahadith quoted above to one's own life should be sufficient for the one who is possessed of understanding.

Another practical solution is that implemented by some good people who rent neighbouring homes for their families, so as to solve the neighbour problem. This may be an expensive solution, but a good neighbour is priceless.

39. Paying attention to necessary repairs in the home, and making sure that the amenities are in good working order.

Among the blessings of Allah in this modern age are mod cons that He has bestowed upon us, which make many things easier and save time, such as air-coditioner, fridges, washing machines and so on. It is wise to have the best quality of appliances that one can afford, without being extravagent or putting oneself under financial strain.

We should also be careful to distinguish between useful extras or extravagent additions that have no real value

Part of caring for the home includes fixing appliances and amenities that break down.

Some people neglect these things, and their wives complain about homes crawling with broken and worn out furniture.

No doubt this is one of the obstacles to happiness in the home, and causes problems. The smart person is the one who hastens to fix these things.

40. Paying attention to the family's health and safety procedure.

When any member of his family got sick, the Massenger of Allah (pbuh) would blow on them and recite al-Miwadhatayn (last two surah of Qur'an)
(Reported by Imam muslim no.2192)

When one of his family members got sick, he would call for soup, and it would be made for him, then he would tell them to drink it, and would say, It will strengthen the heart of the one who is greiving and cleanse (heal) the heart of the one who is sick just as anyone of you wipes the dirt from his face.
(Reported by Imam Tirmidhi, no. 2039)

One of the ways of taking safety precaution is:
The Massenger of Allah (pbuh) said: when evening comes, keep your children inside, for shaythan (devils) spread out at that time.

Then when an hour of night has passed, let your children go, lock the doors and mention the name of Allah, cover your pots and mention the name of Allah, even if you only place a stick across the top of your vessel, and extinguish your lamps.
(reported by Imam Bukhari, al Faith, 10/88-89)

According to report narrated by Muslim, he (pbuh) said: Lock your doors, cover your vessels, extinguish your lamps and tie your knots properly, (i.e., cover your jugs properly in those days they would cover them with a peice of cloth and tie it), for the shaytaan does not open a door that is closed, or uncover something that is a covered, or untie a knot that you tie. And the mouse could set the house on fire (i.e, it could pull out wick of the lamp and set the house on fire.)
(reported by Imam Ahmed in al-Musnad, 3/103)

The prophet (pbuh) said: Do not leave fires lit your houses when you go to sleep.
(Reported by Imam Bukhari, al-Faith, 11/85)

And Allah know a best. May Allah bless our prophet Muhammed peace be upon him.