Mankind cannot live alone; every individual must live and interact with one another. All human beings seek a true friend. They look for people to share their happiness with, who will support them in times of trouble, who will show them solutions when they can find none, who love them unconditionally, be loyal to them, protect them, treat their error gently, and who will not abandom them when they are ill, in the same way that they will not abandon them when they are healthy, or when they grow old. Humans have always been social creatures and in need of friends and companions."A person is likely to follow the faith of his friend, so look whom you befriend." (Hadith)
My advice for those who seek to choose a true friend is select wisely. Those people who you sit with and make friends are inevitable going to fall into one of the two categories (Good or Bad). There is no good in a companion who does not wish for us(in what's good) what he wishes for himself. There is also no good in a companion who wishes for us what he wishes for himself, if what he likes for his own soul is leading him towards destruction.
The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the seller of musk(arabic perfume), and the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows. So as for the seller of musk then either he will grant you some, or you buy some from him, or at least you enjoy a pleasant smell from him. As for the one who blows the blacksmith’s bellows then either he will burn your clothes or you will get an offensive smell from him. [Hadith]
In his commentary of this hadith, Imam An Nawawy said that the Prophet(s.a.w) compared a good companion to a seller of musk and spoke of the virtue of having companions who are good, who have noble manners, piety, knowledge and good cultures. Such are those who grant us from their virtue. And he(s.a.w) forbade us to sit with those who do evil, commit a lot of sins and other bad deeds, as well as innovaters, backbitters, and so forth.
And (remember) the Day when the wrong-doer will bite his hands and say: Woe to me! Would that i had taken a path with the Messenger. Woe to me! If only i had not taken so-and-so as a friend! He has led me astray from this Message of Allah after it had come to me. And Satan is ever a deserter to man in the hour of need! (Al Furqan 25: 27-29)
"Friends on that Day will be enemies to one another, except the Righteous. (Al Zukhruf 43:67)
Imagine that. The very friends that hang out together drinking, backbitting, laughing at other people backs, will one day try to pull each other down and blame each other to the Hellfire. That is an extremely depressing scenario.
However, the Islamic friendship is different from them. The way a true Muslim relate to his friend in Islam is much better than the way in which other people conduct their social affairs. Friendship in Islam is based on ta'akhi(brotherhood or sisterhood) for the sake of Allah. And it is this love for the sake of Allah, that is the highest bond that may exist between one human being and another, whether man or woman. It is the bond of faith in Allah which Allah established between all believers when He said:
The Believers are but one single brotherhood... (Quran 49:10)
The believers, men and women, are awliya (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another. (Surah Al-Tawbah 9:71)
Thus it comes as no suprise to see that Muslims enjoy a strong, enduring relationship that is based on love for the sake of Allah, which is the noblest and purest form of love between human beings. This is a love which is untainted by any wordly interest or ulterior motive.
The examples of the Believers, in their mutual love and mercy is like the example of a body, if one part feels pain, then all of the body suffers in sleeplessness and fever. (Hadith)
A true friend does not envy the signs of Allah's bounty upon you. Rather, he should be happy for his friend's blessings and praise Allah for it, just as he would praise Allah if it were seen upon him.
In fact, I can keep on quoting many hadith by our beloved Prophet(s.a.w) regarding friendship:
-Do not envy one another.
-Believers are like a structure, part of which support other parts.
-Shall i not tell you about something that is better for you than charity and fasting? Reconcile between your bothers, for hatred dimnishes reward.
-Your smiling at your brother is an act of charity.
-None of you truly believes until he likes for his brother what he likes for himself
-The Muslim's prayers for his absent brother will be answered. There is an angel at his head who, whenever he prays for his brother, says, "Amin, and you shall have likewise.
This actually proves the importance of friendship in Islam!
In fact, when the Prophet(s.a.w) was sent to spread Islam, he did not do it on his own. Rather Allah choose for him companions who accompanied him and who carried the Message until it was complete.
The two(Prophet and Abu Bakr) were in the Cave, and he(Prophet) said to his companion, "Have no fear for Allah is with Us."(Al Tawbah 9:40)
The Prophet (s.a.w) said "Allah is with Us", and not "with me", since Abu Bakr had supported the Prophet in the establishing of the Dean of Allah, he has thus earned the right to be supported by Allah also.
Allah says, "Where are those who loved one another for My Glory? Today I will shade them in My Shade on the Day when there is no Shade but Mine." (Hadith Qudsi)
Allah says, "Those who love one another for My glory will have minbars of light, and the Prophet and martyrs will wish they had the same." (Hadith Qudsi)
If I were to attain such a friend who would love me for the sake of Allah, who wishes me good and my happiness, without any envy or jealousy, is like a companion in the Paradise!
=)
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Acknowledgement:
-Holy Quran
-Hadith as reported by Bukharee, Muslim and al-Tirmidhi
-Br. Isa Al-Bosnee