The issue of friendship is an important matter. This is because as human beings we can not exist alone. Apart from our own immediate family, we have to relate with some other people either in school, in our neighborhood, or at our work-place. Some of us even discuss with them some things that we can not discuss with our family members because we have so much trust in them. But as Muslims, what should we watch out for when choosing a friend or do we just to pick our friends without any precaution?
A Muslim is not like any other person, he takes into consideration the words of Allaah and the instructions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) before taking any action. As for those we should take for our friends, firstly ,they should be Muslims. The better they are with their practice of Islam, the more they should qualify to be our friends. Allaah says: "0 ye who believe! Be afraid of AIlaah, and be with those who are truthful (in words and deeds)" (Q 9:119).
Allaah gives us this instruction because the kind of person that we choose as a friend goes a long way in determining our behavior. If your friend is a committed Muslim, most likely his own behavior will rub off on you. The same thing applies if the person is not the serious type. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) 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 blacksmiths 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. (Bukhaari)
Like we have said, the friends of a Muslim should also be Muslims. A Muslim does not take for intimacy people that are not believers like themselves. This is because they do not share the same belief system with you. These people will not be pleased with you except you do what they are doing. Allaah says: "Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you till you follow their religion. Say: "Verily, the Guidance of AIlaah (i.e. Islamic monotheism) that is the (only) Guidance. (Q2:120).
Apart from them not being pleased with you because of your religion, they also mock you for doing what Allaah has instructed you to do like Salaah, fasting e.tc. Allaah says: "Oh ye who believe! Take not as Auliyah (protectors, helpers) those who take your religion as mockery and fun from among those who received the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before you, and nor from among the disbelievers; and fear AIlaah if you indeed are true believers". (Q5: 57).
So we should not take the unbelievers or the Muslims that is not committed to his deen (religion) as our intimate friends, this does not mean that we cannot interact with them or maintain good relations with them. Indeed, we must. That way, we may have the opportunity of calling them to Islaam, maintaining a cordial community and mutual learning from each other on regular matters. This shows that the issue of friendship is very important and that it is not something that we can play around with. Some kind of friends may lead one to Hell Fire on the Day of Judgement. Allaah says some people will say : "Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken soand so as a khalil (an intimate friend)! He indeed -led me astray from the Reminder (this Quran ) after it had come to me. "And Shaitan (Satan) is to man ever a deserter in the hour of need." (Q25:28-29).
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited