Islamic Ethics of Neighborly Relations as a Mechanism for Resolving Social Conflicts

Abstract

Social conflict in neighborhood relations is not only related to differences in interests but also to how individuals understand rights, obligations, communication, prejudice, and social boundaries. This study aims to analyze the principles of Islamic neighborly ethics and map their relevance as a mechanism for social conflict resolution. The study employs a qualitative approach using library research and content analysis. The research corpus consists of 15 sources grouped into three categories: Islamic normative sources, Islamic literature, and scholarly journal articles concerning neighborly ethics, social conflict, social harmony, and conflict resolution. Data were analyzed through the stages of identifying units of meaning, coding, categorization, cross-source comparison, and thematic synthesis. The findings reveal four major themes: (1) respect for neighbors' rights and security; (2) positive communication and control of prejudice; (3) mutual assistance, consultation, and conflict settlement; and (4) strengthening social cohesion through neighborhood relations. The analysis demonstrates that Islamic neighborly ethics function not merely as individual moral norms but also as preventive, corrective, and integrative mechanisms in social conflict. Al-Ghazali's perspective strengthens the dimension of individual moral formation, while Durkheim provides a framework for understanding how shared norms generate social order and solidarity. The perspectives of Shihab and Madjid broaden the understanding of Islamic social ethics within plural societies. This study differs from previous studies because it does not merely identify neighbors' rights and obligations but maps the social functions of these ethical values into the stages of conflict prevention, de-escalation, settlement, and reconciliation.