Keep company of pious

Excellent video by Sheikh Saqqaf:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4azpa8hPtY&feature=player_embedded

Another benefit is the fact that the one who loves them, connects with them, and takes them as allies will be among them and merit Allah's love and entry into Paradise. 

This is supported by the mass-transmitted hadith: 

A person is with whom he loves.

It is also borne out by the hadith of Ahmad and others with a rigorously authentic chain from Ubada b. al-Samit in a raised form, who said, 

Allah Most High said,

My love is merited by those who love one another for My sake; My love is merited by those who maintain relationships for My sake; My love is merited by those who offer advice to each other for My sake; My love is merited by those who visit one another for My sake; and My love is merited by those strive to help one another for My sake. Those who love one another for My sake shall be on pulpits of light. Their position shall be envied by the Prophets, veracious, and martyrs. 


FROM the book by Sayyid Muhammad b. Ja‘far b. Idris al-Kattani

Take my hand- Story of two friends

A song called "Take my hand"(includes video) by Nader Khan based on a story cited by Imam Ghazali in his book “Duties of Brotherhood in Islam”, translated into English by Muhtar Holland. The story is of two friends from an ancient Jewish community, and deals with their lifestyle of devotion and worship, how one of them goes astray, and how his friend takes him by the hand, back to his original path. 


"Take my hand, come with me
Take your time, but don’t you see
That your ways, won’t set you free

Take my hand, come with me
Take a look, inside the door
Of my heart, you’ll see for sure
That my love, for you is pure

Take my hand, come with me
I won’t judge, won’t put you down
While you lie, down on the ground
Take your time, I’ll hang around

Take my hand, come with me
I don’t know how I would fare
If your trials, I was to bear
But your burden, do let me share

Take my hand, come with me
Take this hate out of your heart
It’s alright that we’ve grown apart
Let’s give this thing a brand new start

Take my hand, come with me
Turn your anger, your glowing rage
Against yourself, break out of the cage
Write your story, on a brand new page

Take my hand, come with me
I won’t shout, I’ll stay composed
This is where, you need me most
It’s not too late, the door hasn’t closed

Take my hand, come with me
And if i stumble, as I walk with you
I’ll take your hand, oh I’ll come with you
I’ll need your strength, to pull me through
But now take my hand, and now come with me" 


Lyrics thanks to:
http://maryamnoorieverything.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/take-my-handnader-khan.html 

Versi pendek mengenai sahabat

Sister Acia translated an article of mine into Malay, may Allah swt reward her for the efforts, here it is:

Kita akan dapat dan hilang persahabatan dalam kehidupan. Ini menunjukkan bahawa Allah swt adalah ‘sahabat sebenar `kita dan kita seharusnya membina persahabatan yang didasari niat kerana Allah tanpa ada terikat niatnya kepada dunia semata-mata.

Di dalam al-Qur’an juga telah dinyatakan tentang ‘Hari Perhitungan’ iaitu masa dimana kita memerlukan bantuan,(43:67) “sahabat pada hari itu akan menjadi musuh antara satu sama lain, kecuali mereka yang beramal soleh(saling bersahabat dengan niat yang benar)”

Sahabat yang baik akan memeberikan banyak kebaikan, dan sahabat yang jahat akan selalu memberikan kesan yang sebaliknya.

Manfaat sahabat yang baik:

1)      Memperbaiki peribadi diri dan mengurangkan kerosakan pada diri sendiri(terutamanya kerosakan hati)

2)      Memperbaiki ilmu kita

3)      Meningkatkan perbuatan baik dalam diri seseorang.

4)      Dapat membantu ketika kita memerlukan samaada di dunia terutamanya di akhirat kelak.

5)      Persahabatan akan berkekalan selagi mana persahabatan dibina kerana Allah Ta’ala, melalui kesabaran, ,rahmat, akhlak yang baik serta kasih sayang.

6)      Membantu kita dengan keikhlasan.

7)      Membimbing kepada keredhaan Allah Ta’ala dan mendekatkan diri kepada-Nya.

8)      Mengingatkan kita kepada Allah Ta’ala.

Allah swt berfirman, : Cinta Aku adalah wajib bagi orang-orang yang mencintai satu sama lain demi Aku dan duduk bersama demi Aku dan yang saling mengunjungi demi Aku dan yang memberi dengan murah hati kepada satu sama lain demi Aku[muwatta’]

Tuntasnya, marilah kita insyaALLAH saling mengasihi kerana Allah dan bukan kerana kepentingan diri atau manfaat dunia semata.

Shorter version of Friends post

We gain and lose many friendships in life. It shows that Allah swt is our True Friend, and we should make friendships based on Him and not become attached to the dunya.

The Qur’an says about Day of Judgement, the time of need, (43:67):” Friends on that day will be foes, one to another,- except the Righteous.”

Good friends have many benefits, and bad friends often have the opposite affects (i.e. opposite of the benefits). 

Benefits of good friends are:

1)     -Improve character and decreases faults of ourselves

2)      -Improves knowledge

3)      -Increases good deeds

4)      -Helps us in times of need, in this world and the next

5)      -Friendships last longer as they are based on Allah Most High, through patience, mercy, good manners and love

6)      -Helps us sincerely

7)      -Leads to pleasure of Allah Most High and closeness to Him

8)      -Reminds one of Allah Most High

"Allah Almighty says, 'My love is mandatory for those who love one another in Me and sit together for My sake and who visit one another for My sake and who give generously to one another for My sake.''" [Muwatta']

So let us insha’Allah love each other for Allah’s sake, and not for reasons of selfishness or worldly benefit. 

Friends, why do we lose them?

One loses and makes friends many times in life. But we should not lose heart, and should instead take it as a lesson in life. It serves to remind us that we should not rely too much on people or this dunya, but that we should seek to rely upon Allah Most High, who is al-Wali (The Friend).


If we never experienced the loss of friends in this world, then we would be very surprised on the Day of Judgement when a mother will leave her child, a father his son, a brother his sister, a husband his wife, a friend his friend, and vice versa.

But Allah Most High has given us a similitude of the shocks and frightening and desperate situation of the next world, so that we can learn.  Further the Qur’an says (43:67):” Friends on that day will be foes, one to another,- except the Righteous.”  This also shows us the importance of who we take as friends and should cause us to reflect upon our friendships and companionships.

Is the friendship based on good and piety?
Or is it based selfish desires and whims?


The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) emphasised how we are influenced by our friends when he said “A person is upon the religion of his close friend, so beware whom you befriend.” (Abu Dawud)

If we adopt the company of bad friends, we probably will then deteriorate our morals and character and deeds.  But if we adopt the company of good friends, then we will increase our morals and character and deeds. They also increase/strengthen our Iman (belief in Islam) and give peace in our hearts, and make us happy or console us when we’re sad.

The good friends are those who remind each other of Allah Most High, and encourage the good, and forbid the evil, carry out the obligatory Islamic duties, and strive to draw closer to Allah Most High. It is such that are the righteous and whose friendship will be of benefit on the Day of Judgement. The bad friends will only be a cause for our loss in this world and next, as they will lead to our sins increasing, and ditch us in our times of need. The best friends are not those who help us in this world and lead to our loss in the next world. On the other hand a true friend is one who helps us in our time of need, and that is what is of benefit in the hereafter.


The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) was asked: “Which of our companions are best?” He replied: “One whose appearance reminds you of God, and whose speech increases you in knowledge, and whose actions remind you of the hereafter” (Muhasibi)

And will these friends pray for us often after we die? Will they ask Allah Most High to donate the reward of Qur’an, even 1 year after we die? Or will they forget about us really quickly? So strive to make friends that are real friends, who will help us when it really matters.

Furthermore will these friends help us improve?
Will they sincerely notify us of ours faults, so that we can be better people?
Or will they stay quiet at our faults, only to see us have our faults revealed on the Day of Judgement, when revelation of faults is too late to help us?
If our faults are revealed now, we can strive to correct them before it’s too late.

Also since good companions are based on piety, then such friendships are much more likely to last, since they are more closer to the Prophetic way, and so there is more forgiveness, better character, patience, sincerity and help.

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah Almighty will say on the Day of Rising, 'Where are those who loved one another for the sake of My majesty? Today, on the day when there is no shade but My shade, I will shade them.'" [Muslim]

"Allah Almighty says, 'My love is mandatory for those who love one another in Me and sit together for My sake and who visit one another for My sake and who give generously to one another for My sake.''" [Muwatta']

Mu'adh said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, says, "Those who love one another for My majesty will have minbars of lights. The Prophets and martyrs will envy them."'" [at-Tirmidhi]

The above Hadiths show the importance of making friends for the sake of Allah Most High, and that if one does that, then one will preserve the benefits of friendships till the next world. This is the true meaning of “best friends forever”.  Because then even if one loses a friend, one knows that since s/he made friends for Allah’s sake, the reward exists with Allah Most High, especially His shade (which will be given to only 6 other types of people).


The friendship based on love also means that one is more likely to adopt the Prophetic way of forgiveness and overlooking a friend’s faults/injuries to you, since your aim is Allah Most High, not how the person can benefit you in terms of short term goals (like job, or finding a spouse, or getting connections).

Sorry for the long post, but I hope I showed the importance of friendship and that we should strive to love each other for Allah’s sake, not for selfish reasons. We should not feel sad at the loss of friends but should nevertheless strive to help people. I have mentioned the above benefits of friendship with good people, but our purpose should be to make friends for the sake of Allah Most High, striving to be closer to Him.