Make a Sincere Believer Your Close Friend

 ﷽

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*Make a Sincere Believer Your Close Friend*

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In Islam, friendship is an important relationship. But it has to have a foundation.

Amr ibn ‘Abasah (رضي الله عنه) reported: 

The Prophet (ﷺ) said; *_“Allaah (ﷻ) says: My love is a right upon those who befriend each other for My sake. My love is a right upon those who defend each other for My sake.”_*

(Al-Mu’jam al-Ṣaghīr, 1092)

However, instead of making friends with the misguided ones we should strive to befriend the righteous and treat the rest in a gracious and just manner. Staying at a sufficient distance is necessary, yet treating everybody in a noble and kind manner is required.

We should have only good practising Muslims as our close friends and love them for the sake of Allaah (ﷻ).

As Allaah's Messenger (ﷺ) said; 

*_“Allaah (ﷻ) says: My love is a right upon those who love each other for My sake. My love is a right upon those who visit each other for My sake. My love is a right upon those who sit together for My sake. My love is a right upon those who maintain relations for My sake.”_*

(Musnad Aḥmad, 21575)

Abu Musa (رضي الله عنه) also reported that Allaah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said; *_“The example of a good companion (who sits with you) in comparison with a bad one, is like that of the musk seller and the blacksmith’s bellows (or furnace); from the first you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell while the bellows would either burn your clothes or your house, or you get a bad nasty smell thereof.”_*

(Sahih al-Bukhari, 2101)

Ask yourself this question; are you a friend of the perfume seller or a friend of the blacksmith? Examine your circle of friends and ponder upon your character because our friends are a reflection of ourselves. As such, it is vital for us to choose good companions.

Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said; *_“A man is upon the religion of his best friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.”_*

(Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 2378)

Always keep in mind that friendship is not only a social construct but a religiously significant relationship. And remember, Islam asks us to keep friends that bring us closer to Allaah (ﷻ) and to make sure we treat them well.

And for keeping a bad companion…

Allaah (ﷻ) says:

*وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَٰلَيْتَنِى ٱتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًۭا*

*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.*

*يَٰوَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِى لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًۭا*

*Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend.*

*لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِى عَنِ ٱلذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَآءَنِى ۗ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ لِلْإِنسَٰنِ خَذُولًۭا*

*He led me away from the remembrance after it had come to me. And ever is Satan, to man, a deserter."*

(Al Furqaan, 25:27–29)

We ask Allaah (ﷻ) to make us of the righteous ones and give us companions that will take us away from His wrath and lead us to His pleasure and Paradise.

*آمين يا رب العالمين*