WHO IS A TRUE FRIEND ?

  

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Choose your Friends wisely

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Allah ﷻ says in Surah Furqan

 

يَا وَيْلَتَى لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًا

 

O, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one for a friend!

 

[25:28]

 

This will be such a regret for some people on Qiyamah.

 

Why?

 

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى دِينِ خَلِيلِهِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَحَدُكُمْ مَنْ يُخَالِلُ ‏"‏ ‏

 

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ ‏.‏

 

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2378

 

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w) said:

 

"A man is upon the religion of his friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends."

 

[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2378]

 

And think of how true this is,
How many times have not prayed Salah because your friends distracted you?

 

How many times have you fallen into Haram because of their influence?

 

And then reflect,

 

How many times have your friends reminded you of Salah?

 

How many times has your friend saved you from Haraam and led you towards good deeds?

 

Which side outweighs the other on your scale?

 

Because they might be the funniest, best friends in the world, but if they don’t practice Islam, none of it will hold any weight on Qiyamah, unless by Allah’s mercy.

 

Even if they are good people, if they do not practice then it won’t be an excuse on Qiyamah.

 

As Allah ﷻ says in Surah Abasa

 

 یَوۡمَ یَفِرُّ ٱلۡمَرۡءُ مِنۡ أَخِیهِ (34) وَأُمِّهِۦ وَأَبِیهِ (35) وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِیهِ (36) لِكُلِّ ٱمۡرِئࣲ مِّنۡهُمۡ یَوۡمَىِٕذࣲ شَأۡنࣱ یُغۡنِیهِ (37) 

 

[Surah ʿAbasa: 34-37]

 

On the Day a man will flee from his brother

 

And his mother and his father

 

And his wife and his children,

 

For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.[i.e., to occupy him. He will be concerned only with himself, thus forgetting all others.]

 

[80:34-37]

 

If you will flee from your own mother, what will you be like towards your friends who you obeyed instead of listening to your mother?

 

As Allah ﷻ clarifies in Surah Zukhruf

 

الْأَخِلَّاء يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ

 

Friends on that day will be enemies to each other, except for the Righteous.

 

[43:67]

 

You will be an enemy to your friends! You will blame them for the deeds they led you to, and vice versa!

 

Except for whom?

 

الّا المتقون

 

The righteous.

 

Why?

 

They inclined each other towards good deeds, they reminded each other of Allah ﷻ and they loved each other for the sake of Allah ﷻ, and they will be in the shade of Allah ﷻ on Qiyamah. سبحان الله

 

And unlike the unrighteous and evil friends who will turn against him when they are thrown into hell alongside each other, the righteous will enter Jannah together and live in an eternity of bliss.

 

Ya Ibn Adam! Choose your friends wisely, and fear the day when you will be brought to account for your decisions.

 

May Allah ﷻ grant us righteous friends.

 

آمِيْن