The Importance of Friendship in Islam

The Importance of Friendship in Islam

Because of the ni'mah of Allah, I was saved. So we ask Allah to bless us all with His ni'mah and to keep us on the right way.

The Fate of Those Who Misguide Others

Then Allah will tell this person and his friends: هَلْ أَنتُم مُّطَّلِعُونَ — "Would you like to see what is happening to that person who was trying his best to misguide you?"

And he looked and found out that person already in the bottom of the Jahannam — وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ — in the bottom of Jahannam, because he was not only unrighteous for himself, but he was trying his best to mislead other people, to misguide other people. That is why he will get the bottom of Jahannam. May Allah protect us all.

Abu Bakr and the Meaning of Suhbah (Companionship)

When Rasulullah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ decided to leave from Mecca to Medina after he got the permission, he went to Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ at the Dhuhr time and he said: يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ — "Can you ask your family to leave? I wanted to talk to you about something very important." And he said: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، إِنَّمَا هُمْ أَهْلُكَ — "My family is yours. So whatever you say, it will stay — they will not take it out." And this is the strong family which is connected to the Quran and the Sunnah of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

Then he said: يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ — "I got the permission to leave, and you will be with me." Abu Bakr said: الصُّحْبَةَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ — "I will be with you in this very important trip and journey in human history." He said: "Yes, الصُّحْبَةَ." Then Abu Bakr started crying. Aisha said: "I did not know that somebody may cry because of happiness, until I saw Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَرْضَاهُ."

So the word صُحْبَة and صَاحِب came in the Quran in many different meanings. One of them: صَاحِبُ الشَّيْءِ أَيْ مَالِكُهُ — the owner of something. We call him صَاحِب: صَاحِبُ السَّيَّارَةِ، صَاحِبُ الْبَيْتِ، صَاحِبُ الْجَنَّةِ، صَاحِبُ التِّجَارَةِ — the owner of something, we call him صَاحِب.

And there is a more important صُحْبَة, which is the companionship. That is why when we mention the Sahabah رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمْ, we say رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمْ — may Allah be pleased with them. And the wife is called in the Quran صَاحِبَة. And Allah mentioned in the Quran:

A day will come and the disbelievers will run away from their own families. And the word صَاحِبَة comes as the person — a man — who will run away on Yawm al-Qiyamah from his own wife. May Allah gather us with our families in Jannat al-Na'im.

The Best of Friends in the Sight of Allah

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1944)

The best friends in the sight of Allah are those who are best to their friends.

And if you look at the understanding of Imam Hasan al-Basri رَحِمَهُ اللهُ, when he recited the ayah:

صَدِيق means صَاحِب — companion or friend. On Yawm al-Qiyamah, the righteous people who will go to Jannah directly without getting any punishment from the Hellfire — may Allah protect us all — they will look around and they will miss their friends. Their friends who used to come and pray with them, who used to fast the month of Ramadan with them. But they have their own shortcomings and some mistakes and sins, and they became a reason for them to get the punishment of the Hellfire. They are still Muslimeen, but they get the punishment.

And this person will say: "Ya Allah, my happiness will not be completed until you bring to me my friend." And Allah will say to those righteous people who are not thinking only about themselves, but who even think about their friends: "Look — where is your friend? Get them out." And Allah will save their friends because of their shafa'a.

So the people of the Hellfire will say to each other: "How did they get out? Is it because of the shafa'a of a prophet? No. A shaheed? No. But because of their friends." And they will say:

Imam Hasan al-Basri رَحِمَهُ اللهُ said: Try to have as many righteous friends as you can.

The righteous friend will help you and benefit you in the dunya, and will help you and benefit you in the akhira.

Who Is Your Friend?

So brothers and sisters — who is your friend? This is a very important question and we have to ask ourselves: what type of friendships do we have?

(Referenced by scholars of character and companionship; attributed in spirit to prophetic guidance)

The best friends are those who, whenever you try to get closer to Allah, they help you and support you and stand with you. And whenever you get lazy, they come to you and say: "Come — we want to be in Jannah together. Why don't you come for Salat al-Fajr? When it comes to job, school, dunya, you will be in the first line. When it comes to the akhira, you are lazy, you're behind — come. I will come and pick you up. I will call you. I pray Salat al-Jumu'ah in this masjid and I did not see you. What happened? You're the neighbor of the masjid. We go to the gym together and we wake up early for these dunya things. What about the akhira? Let's help each other. Let's work with each other."

Try to be with the righteous people. Even if you have weakness here or there, the righteous people will complete your righteousness and bring you up, elevate you in Jannah, insha'Allah ta'ala.

The Gathering of Righteous Friends

And look at the beautiful teachings of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ when he talks about the people who get together in the masjid, reciting the Quran, studying the book of Allah, helping each other, reminding each other. He صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said it will be said:

"Go — you will gain the forgiveness of Allah." And the angels will say: "Ya Allah, there was a person with them who was not there for their intention or for their purpose — he was just there because of his friend." And it will be said:

"They are the friends — the people who have a great gathering — and whoever sits with them will not be disappointed; he will get the ajr." So try your best to connect yourself to the righteous people.

And Rasulullah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said in the hadith — and it is a beautiful order for all of us:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 4832; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2395)

"Do not have a friendship except with the righteous people, and when you bring people to your home to gather or to eat, try to have the righteous people."

A Story of True Brotherhood

SubhanAllah — I remember one of the people from a long time ago. He was in need of money and he went to his friend's house. He knocked the door. The friend was not there, and the slave woman came out — as they had slavery at that time. She knew the relationship between the two brothers and said: "My master is not here. What do you need?" He said: "I need some money." And she said: "Wait." She went inside, got the box of money, and said to him: "Take whatever you want." He took some money and left.

The master came and she told him about what happened. And he said: "Because you recognized the real relationship between me and my brother, you are free for the sake of Allah." SubhanAllah — he valued the real relationship between him and his brother.

SubhanAllah, sometimes we lose this type of relationship because of the love of the dunya, because of the selfishness. And if you see now what is happening — for example — for our brothers and sisters in Palestine, in Gaza specifically, people are dying because of hunger. And their brothers, their sisters, their neighbors — Muslims around them — do not even give them a piece of food or medicine or clean water. May Allah make it easy for them. May Allah forgive us for our shortcomings.

Abu Bakr and the Prophet in the Cave

You know what happened to Abu Bakr and Rasulullah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ in the cave. Abu Bakr was afraid, but Rasulullah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ had already received the information that they would be saved. And he told him: "Don't be sad. Don't be afraid — since Allah is our supporter, our protector, we will be okay insha'Allah ta'ala." And this is the way of Allah and the way of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ on the way of our journey toward Allah.

It is good to look around and see who our friends are. For the brothers and the sisters — wives and husbands — try your best to be righteous spouses. So in the dunya you will build a beautiful foundation for your home and your children, and in the akhira:

On the Day of Judgment, you will be together insha'Allah ta'ala in Jannah bi'idhnillah. And:

The Righteous Wife: The Example of Khadijah

And Rasulullah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ says in the hadith:

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 1857)

His wife — the one who will stand with him from day one. And the best example for us was Khadijah رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا — our mother. The time when Rasulullah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ came from the cave of Hira, she said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 160)

"Allah will not let you down." She knew his character صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ and the benefit of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ — not for himself and his family only, but even for the people around him. And she said رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا وَأَرْضَاهَا:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 160)

The Story of the Two Companions in Surah al-Kahf

And Allah told us in Surah al-Kahf — and I would like to end with this, subhanAllah:

You know the surah, and I am sure we are trying our best to recite Surah al-Kahf every Friday. And if you forget, let your friend remind you — we want to have a strong relationship which will guide us and lead us toward Allah.

The first صَاحِب — who had so much wealth and dunya — thought that he was better than his friend because of the dunya: "I am better than you." And in the first ayah, the word لِصَاحِبِهِ came connected. If you look at the mushaf, you will see the alif — we have a small alif on the line. So the صَاحِب was connected before he announced his kufr.

So when he said:

When he announced his disbelief — saying there is nothing called the Day of Judgment, nothing called the hisab and the akhira, and if I go back, if there is something called Jannah and Hellfire, Allah — the One who tested me with the dunya — will give me so much in the akhira — so he disbelieved. Then Allah said:

In this ayah, صَاحِبُهُ was disconnected — the alif separated the صَاح from the ـبُهُ. SubhanAllah al-Adheem. Before he announced his disbelief, the word صَاحِب was connected. After, he was disconnected.

Conclusion: Be the Righteous Friend

So ya ikhwani — لَا تُصَاحِبْ إِلَّا مُؤْمِنًا — try to have a real relationship with the righteous people. And try to be the righteous friend who will be a reason for his friends to be in the masjid, to be on the right way. And if you don't find somebody — be that righteous friend. Be that person, insha'Allah ta'ala, and the ajr will come bi'idhnillah.

And insha'Allah ta'ala, we will see each other in Jannah, getting together and talking about our previous life — as Allah mentioned in the Quran — with the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, the righteous, and those who are good companions.

And the last of our supplications is that all praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. And peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad and upon his family and all his companions.