FRIENDSHIP FOR ALLAH'S SAKE

By

Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

22nd Rajab, 1439AH

It is important for us to still be in contact with friends who have issues in their 'aqeedah in a way that would not lead to compromise of our deen. We need to continue to remind them of the truth always. Some persons used to be my best friends before I got to know more about sunnah based Islaam. But I had to give them some space because of the saying of the salaf that the kind of freinds one has could determine the kind of deen (religion) one would be upon. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said in a hadith reported by Abu Buraydah رضي الله الله عنه:

 ‏"‏ مَثَلُ الْجَلِيسِ الصَّالِحِ وَالْجَلِيسِ السَّوْءِ كَمَثَلِ صَاحِبِ الْمِسْكِ، وَكِيرِ الْحَدَّادِ، لاَ يَعْدَمُكَ مِنْ صَاحِبِ الْمِسْكِ إِمَّا تَشْتَرِيهِ، أَوْ تَجِدُ رِيحَهُ، وَكِيرُ الْحَدَّادِ يُحْرِقُ بَدَنَكَ أَوْ ثَوْبَكَ أَوْ تَجِدُ مِنْهُ رِيحًا خَبِيثَةً ‏"‏‏

"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." [Bukhari]

So, it is dangerous to be in close contact with people who are not conscious of the Sunnah. Moving here and there with people of bid'ah could have negative effect on one's deen. That is why the salaf warn us strongly from mingling with the people of bid'ah. However, it is still important to get in touch wit friends, family and associates from time to time for da'wah purpose. I try to do this very well. Some of my friends see my posts relating to 'aqeedah and sunnah on Facebook, Whatsapp and other social avenues. Some friends must have stopped following my posts without my knowledge. Some even unfriended me for not being comfortable with the kind of Islaam (Salafiyyah) that I call to. I try to send private texts to some of them, reminding them of the importance of 'aqeedah and sunnah in the life of a true Muslim, and I try to call them once in while for admonitions. Then, anytime I have the opportunity to meet them face to face, I still keep advising them and I will not stop in sha Allah. 

Some of our friends who belong to some deviant sects now seem to know the truth. But due to the fact that they are born into it, they don't want to leave it. Then, it is a means by which some of them get something to eat. They organize maolid, lailatul qadr, assalatus, jalabi business etc. They deceive people to get money from them. Friendship should always be for the sake of Allaah, in the sense that friends should encourage one another to follow the sunnah strictly and not the society or common trend. 

One of the blows the revival sunnah in our society has suffered over the years is "friendship upon deceit". People who understand Sunnah make friends and mix with those who are yet to understand the Sunnah in a way that compromises their da'wah. They say to one another; let's leave our differences and unite upon our areas of agreement, even in matters of 'aqeedah. The principle of "al walaa wal baraa" is being eroded with this attitude. I have noticed that preachers who speak often on 'aqeedah don't get much audience. Their lovers are the real People of Sunnah. If a preacher hardly speaks on 'aqeedah, people of different sects would like him and promote his image. Perhaps, the desire to appear everywhere or to be loved by everyone are reasons why some preachers shelve matters of 'aqeedah. Allaah's aid is sought!

Let's be careful, some deviants may look like ahlu Sunnah, but in the real sense, they are far from it. The scholars have done justice to them in their books. If you see people who belong to the group known as khawaarij and their sympathizers, you will think they are ahlus sunnah. The same thing with the tableeghees. A lot people even mistakes salafees for tableeghees. In their own thinking, anyone who wears nisfu saq and beards is a tableegh. Then, the Ikhwaanees. They share some traits with salafees, but they are far from salafiyyah. The worst of them all (Allah knows best) are the shi'as who curse the Companions رضي الله عنهم among several other fundamental deviations. From the old deviant groups are the jahmees, the mu'tazilee, and the murji'as. May Allaah guide us against their innovations and return them back to pure Islaam.

The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said Muslims would divide into seventy-three (73), all will be in hell except one (1). They are people who stick to pristine Islam. They are people who stand where the salaf (righteous predecessors) stood. They are the people of aathar (narrations) and hadith (traditions). They are the Tooifatul Mansoorah (the assisted group). They are the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa'ah. They stand upon the truth no matter who is affected. They call only to Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم (pristine Islam) and they do not mind the criticisms of the critics or insults of the insulters in the cause of the da'wah. They do not hide the truth. They love for Allah's sake and hate for Allah's sake. May Allaah keep us firm as we strive to be upon this path till eternity. It is that pristine Islam that a lot of people have deviated from that make them to be misguided. May Allah save us from all forms of deviation.

However, Sheikh Saalih Fawzaan حفظه الله explained in Sharhu us Sunnah that the statement of the prophet that they are in hell doesn't necessarily mean they are all kuffar. They are not to be blanketly thrown out of Islam like some people are doing today in our society. The degree of their hell depends on the extent of their disobedience to Allah. So, they are to be examined individually and not collectively. The said and I quote:

".. فمنهم من يدخل النار لكفره, ومنهم من يدخل النار لفسقه, ومنهم من يدخل النار لمعصيته, ليسوا سواء في دخولهم النار فلا يؤخذ من هذا الحديث إن هذه الفرق كلها كافرة"

...From among them is one who will be in hell for his disbelief, and from among them is one who will be in hell for his debauchery, from among them is one who will be in hell for his sin, they are not equal in their entering of hell, it is not to be taken from the hadith that all the sects are disbelievers [See pg. 226, Sharh of Sharh us Sunnah by Sheikh ibn Fawzaan ibn 'Abdillah al Fawzaan]

For instance, if the sufiyyah of a person does not involve shirk or kufr, he would not be regarded to have left Islam. He would be regarded as a sinner based on his degree of his innovation. The sufees who believe in wahdatul wujud (unity of creations) are kuffar, no doubt. They are even worse than the Christians. The Christians believe Allah is three in one (God the father, son and the holy spirit), but those who have 'aqeedah of wahdatul wujud believe everything is Allah. SubhanaLlaah!

A lot of sufees who believe in grave worship, and praying to the dead insted of Allah, are engaging in shirk that takes them of Islam. Those who believe solaatul faatih is a verse of the Qur'an are also committing shirk. There are many other examples. It is very hard to find a sufi whose Islam is firm considering the various kinds of 'aqeedah they professin contravention of divine texts. They have many dangerous 'aqeedah. In fact, it is the principle of some taareeqaat (especially the Tijaaniyyahs) not to initiate any member into the group without affirming that Allah is everything. SubhanaLlaah!

In addition, the sufees believe so much in sihr (magic) which is a form of shirk on its own. They are well known for it. It is very hard to find a sufi who is not inclined towards sihr practice. I was once a sufi, almost everyone around us then was. We didn't know the real Islam then. We didn't know the meaning of Sunnah, we only used to hear the word. Nobody explained it to us in the proper manner. We followed different mukaddams of misguidance. They just tell us to do something, and we would do it without asking questions. May Allah forgive us.But I was lucky not to have gone deep in it before realizing their numerous evils. They used to invite me to recite the Qur'an at Maolid, Lailatul Qadr and so on then. They used to spray money on me. SubhanaLlaah!

During our last Lagos journey, I was discussing a relevant issue with my friend and Ustadh, Sanusi Lafiagi, and I said, if we want to be making money like those fake Alfas are doing today, we know what to do. But it will make one's aakhirah (hereafter) to suffer. Every scholar and students of knowledge must retrace their steps back to taoheed, sunnah and ikhlaas in whatever they are doing. The advice of Sheikh Fawzaan حفظه الله is for us to prioritize 'aqeedah in our da'wah. Let the haters hate you, the truth will not change.

 The enjoyment of this life is not up to an atom compared to the hereafter. We should prefer the hereafter to this ephemeral world. Allah says:

(وَمَا هَٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ ۚ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ)

And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter - that is the [eternal] life, if only they knew. [Surat Al-Ankabut 64, Saheeh International]

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was reported to have said:

"لَوْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا تَعْدِلُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةٍ مَا سَقَى كَافِرًا مِنْهَا شَرْبَةَ مَاءٍ"

"If the world to Allah were equal to a mosquito’s wing, then He would not allow the disbeliever to have a sip of water from it.” [At-tirmidhi]

It is also reported that one of the salaf said: 

ولو كانت الدنيا تعد نفيسة ** فدار ثواب الله أعلى وأنبل

If this world is to be taken as something valuable, then the home of Allah's reward (paradise) is higher and nobler

May Allaah guide us aright.