Baby Ais shares her snack

On the porch, a neighbour's child the same age came to play. Baby Ais was holding a biscuit. Without Abi asking, she broke off half and gave it to her friend. Abi just watched from afar, stunned.

I never designed a lesson on "sharing with neighbours." But the kids absorb it from our table — we often send food to the neighbours, and they see it. What is seen repeatedly becomes what is done automatically.

Giving to a neighbour, even half a biscuit, is the seed of the hadith about a neighbour's rights. A child who grows up used to sharing with those nearby becomes an adult generous to the wider world.

Jibril kept advising me about the neighbour, until I thought he would make him an heir. (Bukhari 6014, Muslim 2624)

Two biscuits, two children, one small porch. But Abi watched a great character rehearsing in a very small body.