بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Seek companions who are seeking paradise in the hereafter.
وَٱصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُۥ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُۥ فُرُطًا ﴿٢٨
The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) often spoke to his companions about the value of good companionship. He emphasized the need to surround ourselves with good people.
People who hold the same values and beliefs that we do, make the best friends and companions. Differences of opinion, different lifestyles and interests may make our friendships interesting and sometimes challenging but if the core value system is not the same the friendship itself probably has no solid foundation.
Those people who you sit with and take as your friends are inevitably going to fall into one of two categories. Either they are going to be good individuals - who guide and encourage you towards what is good and help you to accomplish that which Allah has ordered, or they are going to be bad - encouraging you to do what is pleasing to Shaytaan, that which misleads you, and leads you to the HellFire.
The bad companion is the Shaytan from amongst mankind, and the Shaytan are both men and jinns. Sometimes the harm that comes from the Shaytan amongst men is greater than the harm that comes from the Shaytan of the jinn.
When the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sent with the Da'wah to establish the Deen of al-Islam, he did not do it on his own. Rather, Allah chose for him companions who accompanied him and who carried the Message until it was complete.
We must choose our friends and companions carefully so that we take friends who are righteous. Such companion will help us do what is good and remind us of Allah, he will enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil. If he observes us committing sins he would warn us, if he becomes aware of our shortcomings he would advise us, and if he finds a fault in us he would cover it. About this the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. He neither betrays him nor tells him a lie, nor humiliates him." [At-Tirmidhee]
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) explained the matter of good companionship, so that no room is left for doubt or confusion, when he said: "A person is upon the Deen of his khaleel - close friend, so look to whom you befriend." [Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhee]
This means that a person is upon the same manhaj (methodology) as his friend, the same tareeq (path) as his friend, the same nature, manner and behavior as his friend. So we must be careful about whom we befriend. It is easy to take on their mannerisms and qualities without even being aware of it. If these are good qualities then it is a good thing but what if the people you consider friends have pushed you away from the remembrance of Allah? This could be a disaster, and Allah warns us about it in the Quran.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Seek companions who are seeking paradise in the hereafter.
وَٱصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُۥ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُۥ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُۥ فُرُطًا ﴿٢٨
And
keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in
the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your
eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do
not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and
who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.
(28) [Quran, Al-Kahf 18:28]
The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) often spoke to his companions about the value of good companionship. He emphasized the need to surround ourselves with good people.
People who hold the same values and beliefs that we do, make the best friends and companions. Differences of opinion, different lifestyles and interests may make our friendships interesting and sometimes challenging but if the core value system is not the same the friendship itself probably has no solid foundation.
For the believer, the solid foundation must always be
Islam; the irrefutable truth that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah and
that Muhammad is His messenger. Every believer, past, present and future is
linked by this fundamental truth. The Prophet spoke about this bond on many
occasions.
The example of the believers, in their mutual love
and mercy for one another is like the example of one body, if one part feels
pain, then all of the body suffers in sleeplessness and fever.” [Bukhari]
Those people who you sit with and take as your friends are inevitably going to fall into one of two categories. Either they are going to be good individuals - who guide and encourage you towards what is good and help you to accomplish that which Allah has ordered, or they are going to be bad - encouraging you to do what is pleasing to Shaytaan, that which misleads you, and leads you to the HellFire.
The bad companion is the Shaytan from amongst mankind, and the Shaytan are both men and jinns. Sometimes the harm that comes from the Shaytan amongst men is greater than the harm that comes from the Shaytan of the jinn.
When the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sent with the Da'wah to establish the Deen of al-Islam, he did not do it on his own. Rather, Allah chose for him companions who accompanied him and who carried the Message until it was complete.
We must choose our friends and companions carefully so that we take friends who are righteous. Such companion will help us do what is good and remind us of Allah, he will enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil. If he observes us committing sins he would warn us, if he becomes aware of our shortcomings he would advise us, and if he finds a fault in us he would cover it. About this the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. He neither betrays him nor tells him a lie, nor humiliates him." [At-Tirmidhee]
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) explained the matter of good companionship, so that no room is left for doubt or confusion, when he said: "A person is upon the Deen of his khaleel - close friend, so look to whom you befriend." [Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhee]
This means that a person is upon the same manhaj (methodology) as his friend, the same tareeq (path) as his friend, the same nature, manner and behavior as his friend. So we must be careful about whom we befriend. It is easy to take on their mannerisms and qualities without even being aware of it. If these are good qualities then it is a good thing but what if the people you consider friends have pushed you away from the remembrance of Allah? This could be a disaster, and Allah warns us about it in the Quran.
وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى ٱتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا
﴿٢٧﴾
يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِى لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًا
﴿٢٨﴾
لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِى عَنِ ٱلذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَآءَنِى ۗ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ خَذُولًا
﴿٢٩
And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, "Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way.
(27)
Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend.
(28)
He led me away from the remembrance after it had come to me. And ever is Satan, to man, a deserter."
(29) (Quran, Al-Furqan 25:27-29)
The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) also reiterated this
point when he told the story of the blacksmith and the perfume seller.
The example of a good companion (friend) in
comparison with a bad one is like that of one who sells musk and the
blacksmith. From the first, you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell,
while from the blacksmith you would either get burned or smell a bad scent. [Bukhari]
Once we have found good friends it is important to keep
and maintain the friendship. Believers are connected by their love of Allah and
His messenger and this entails certain responsibilities. A person must be
prepared to overlook some of the faults of his brother or sister in Islam; he
must be prepared to give them excuses for any incorrect or bad behavior they
see in them.
This does not mean however you should turn a blind eye
to sin. No, rather it means that you must maintain the ties of friendship
while seeking to understand and help those who have gone astray. Believers
must never embarrass or publicly harass one another. They must never expose
each other’s faults. Kindness and mercy must be evident in all dealings.
"Whoever conceals (the fault of) a Muslim, Allah will
conceal his fault on the Day of Judgment.” [Abu Dawood]
Islamic scholar, Ibn Mazin said, “The Believer seeks
excuses for his brothers, whilst the hypocrite seeks out their faults.” And
Hamdun al-Qassar said, “If one of your brothers’ commits an error, then seek
ninety excuses for him, and if not, then you are the blameworthy one.”
In his traditions, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “A person
visited his brother in another town and God sent an angel to wait for him on
his way. The angel said, “Where do you intend to go?” the man answered, “I
intend to go to my brother in this town.” The angel said, “Have you done any
favor to him, the repayment of which you intend to get?” He said: “No, I love
him for the sake of God, the Exalted and Glorious.” Thereupon the angel said, “I
am a messenger to you from God to inform you that God loves you as you love
him.” [Muslim]
Believers should never be envious of one
another, they should always be happy when the blessings of Allah fall upon their
friends and companions. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
None of you truly believes until he
wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself. [Bukhari]
The Muslim’s prayer for his absent brother will be
answered. There is an angel at his head who, whenever he prays for his
brother, says, Ameen, and you shall have likewise.
Do not have malice against a Muslim; do not be
envious of other Muslims; do not go against a Muslim and forsake him. Oh the
slaves of Allah! Be like brothers with each other. It is not violable for a
Muslim to desert his brother for over three days. [Muslim]
A believer loves all other believers for the sake of
Allah. He desires for them what he desires for himself. A believer is tolerant
of others mistakes or shortcomings and is forgiving. There is no anger, envy,
hatred or malice between believers. Believers are kind, loyal and generous to
one another and they pray for each other.
It may sound too good to be true, doesn’t it? This
however is Islam. It is a way of life that expects every person to respect
every other person. Islam says you are part of a community and it is your
right and your responsibility to be the very best person that you can be.
Seeking good companions and maintaining good relationships is a responsibility
that each believer has to himself, his community and to Allah.
May Allah grant us righteous companions and make us of those who are righteous.
رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous.
Ameen.
May Allah grant us righteous companions and make us of those who are righteous.
رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous.
Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.
Wassalaam
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