The Shaykh - rahimahullâh - said: [2]
Know O pious brother - may Allâh make our affairs good - that the manners of
companionship and good relationships are of various types, of which I will explain,
such as will show the person of intellect the manners of the Believers and the
Pious; and come to know that Allâh the Most Perfect, the Most High has made them a
mercy and helpers towards each other, which is why the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu
’alayhi wa sallam said,
|
“The example 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.” [3]
|
And he ’alayhis-salâm said,
| “The Believer to the Believer is like a solid building, one part supporting the other.” [4] |
The Prophet ’alayhis-salâm also said,
| “The souls are arrayed armies, so those who knew each one another before, will be friendly … ” [5] |
So if Allâh intends good for His servants, He grants them companionship of the people of the Sunnah, righteousness and adherence to the Religion.; and keeps him free from the companionship of the people of innovations. The Prophet ’alayhis-salâm said,
| “A person is upon the religion of his friend, so let every one of you look to whom he keeps as a friend.” [6] |
‘About a person, do not ask, but ask about his companion;
Since every companion follows his friends.’
| “The Believer seeks excuses for his brothers, whilst the hypocrite seeks out their faults.” |
And Hamdűn al-Qassâr said,
| “If one of your brothers commits an error, then seek ninety excuses for him, and if not, then you are the blameworthy one.” |
| “You will not find anyone who believes in Allâh and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allâh and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers, sons, brothers or their relatives. For such He has written îmân (faith) in their hearts, and strengthened them with a spirit (proofs, light and guidance) from Himself. And We will admit them into gardens underneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. Allâh is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. They are the Party of Allâh, indeed it is the Party of Allâh that will be successful.” [8] |
| “Chivalry is to overlook the mistakes of the brothers.” |
Ibnul-A’râbî (d.231H) said,
| “Forgetting the harms caused by the brothers, causes you love of them to persist.” |
So it is binding upon the Believer, that he avoids seekers of this world, since they will bring him down to the level of seeking it, and this will distance him from his salvation and it will distance him from remaining alert and being aware of it. Rather, he must strive hard in attaining the companionship of the good and the seekers of the Hereafter. Therefore, Dhun-Nűn (d.245H) said to the one whom he advised,
| “Accompany the one whom you will be safe from outwardly, and whom - when you see him - it helps you in doing good and reminds you of your Lord.” |
| “Or do they envy men for what Allâh has given them from His bounty.” [9] |
The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said, “Do not envy one another.” [10]
| “Îmân (faith) has sixty or seventy odd branches, the most excellent of them is witnessing that none has the right to be worshipped besides Allâh, and the lowest branch is removing something harmful from the road, and hayâ‘ is from îmân.” [11] |
He - ’alayhis-salâm - also said,
| “Hayâ‘ is from îmân, and îmân is from Paradise. Speaking obscenely is from coarseness and coarseness is from the Fire.” [12] |
| “Enliven your feeling of hayâ‘ (shame), by sitting before those whom you feel shame.” |
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (d.241H) - rahimahullâh - said,
| “I have not been led into calamity except by accompanying those before whom I do not feel shame.” |
| “Allâh has not disrobed any one of His servants or a robe better than intellect, and has not adorned him with a necklace better than knowledge, nor adorned him with anything better than mildness. And the completeness of that is taqwâ (fear of Allâh).” |
| “Except he who comes to Allâh with a clean heart.” [13] |
Sarî as-Saqatî (d.257H) - rahimahullâh - said,
| “One of the best manners of righteousness is having a good heart as regards the brothers and to give them sincere advice.” |
| “The signs of the hypocrite are three: When he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it and when he is entrusted he acts deceptively.” [14] |
Sufyân ath-Thawrî (d.164H) - rahimahullâh - said,
| “Do not make a promise to your brother and then break it, so that love turns to hate.” |
2. From Âdâbul-’Ishrah wa Dhikrus-Suhbah wal-Ukhuwwah (p. 9-20) with the checking and authentication of hadîth based upon that of Shaykh ’Alî Hasan al-Halabî and also Shaykh Mashhűr Hasan Salmân.
3. Related by al-Bukhârî (no. 6011) and Muslim (no. 2586), from an-Nu’mân Ibn Bashîr radiallâhu ’anhu.
4. Related by al-Bukhârî (no. 481) and Muslim (no. 2585), from Abű Műsâ al-Ash’arî radiallâhu ’anhu.
5. Sahîh: Related by al-Bukhârî (6/369) with ta’lîq (suspension), from ’‘ishah radiallâhu ’anhâ. It was connected by Abű Ya’lâ in al-Musnad (no. 4381) with an isnâd whose narrators are from as-Sahîh - as occurs in al-Majma’ (8/88) of al-Haythamî.
6. Hasan: Related by Ahmad (2/303), Abű Dâwűd (no. 4812) and at-Tirmidhî (no. 2484), from Abű Hurayrah radiallâhu ’anhu. It was authenticated by Imâm an-Nawawî in Riyâdus-Sâlihîn (no. 174).
7. Sahîh: Related by Wakî’ in az-Zuhd (no. 423), Ibn Hibbân (1/427) and at-Tabarânî in al-Kabîr (1/147), from Usâmah Ibn Sharîk radiallâhu ’anhu. It was authenticated by al-Hâfidh al-’Irâqî in Takhrîjul-Ihyâ‘ (2/157).
8. Sűratul-Mujâdilah 58:22
9. Sűratun-Nisâ‘ 4:94
10. Sűratush-Shu’arâ 26:89
11. Related by al-Bukhârî (10/484) and Muslim (no. 2564), from Abű Hurayrah radiyallâhu ’anhu.
12. Related by al-Bukhârî (1/44) and Muslim (1/46) .
13. Sahîh: Related by Ahmad (2/501) and at-Tirmidhî (no. 2077) with a sahîh isnâd, from Abű Hurayrah radiallâhu ’anhu.
14. Related by al-Bukhârî (5/289) and Muslim (1/76)