True Friendship

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

In the Qur’aan, Allaah تعالى says:

﴿الْأَخِلَّاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ * يَا عِبَادِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَلَا أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ * الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا مُسْلِمِينَ﴾

{Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except Al-Muttaqoon (pious). (It will be said to the true believers): My worshippers! No fear shall be on you this Day, nor shall you grieve, who believed in Our Ayaat (proofs, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and were Muslims (i.e. who submit totally to Allaah's Will, and believe in the Oneness of Allaah).} [Surah al-Zukhruf (43): 67-69]

From the people who will be under Allaah’s shade are: “two men who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allaah.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim]

Tafseer al-Muyassar (by a group of Scholars):

Friends upon disobedience to Allaah in this world will disown one another on the Day of Judgment. But as for those who befriended one another upon Taqwa of Allaah, their friendship will be everlasting in this world and the Hereafter. It will be said to these Pious (Believers): O My slaves! There shall be no fear upon you this Day from My punishment, nor shall you grieve of what has escaped you from the fortunes of this world - those who believed in Our verses and did that which their Messengers came to them with; submitting to Allaah, the Lords of the worlds, with their hearts and their limbs.

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From Tafseer Ibn Katheer رحمه الله:

{Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except those who have Taqwa} means, every friendship that exists for a purpose other than for the sake of Allaah will turn to enmity on the Day of Resurrection, except for that which is for the sake of Allaah عز وجل, which will last forever. This is like the statement of Ibraaheem عليه السلام to his people:

﴿إِنَّمَا اتَّخَذْتُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْثَـناً مَّوَدَّةَ بَيْنِكُمْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يَكْفُرُ بَعْضُكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ وَيَلْعَنُ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضاً وَمَأْوَاكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّن نَّـصِرِينَ﴾

{You have taken (for worship) idols instead of Allah. The love between you is only in the life of this world, but on the Day of Resurrection, you shall disown each other, and curse each other, and your abode will be the Fire, and you shall have no helper.} [Surah al-`Ankaboot (29):25]

It is reported that `Alee رضي الله عنه said regarding the Aayah:

﴿الْأَخِلَّاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ﴾

{Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except Al-Muttaqoon (pious)}

He رضي الله عنه said: ❝Two friends who were Believers and two friends who were Kaafir (disbelievers). Then one of the Believers dies and is given the glad tidings of being admitted into the Jannah. So he remembers his friend and says: “O Allaah! Indeed so-and-so was my close friend and he used to advice and command me with obedience to You and obedience to Your Messenger; and he used to command me with good and forbid me from evil. He used to inform (remind) me about my meeting with You. So, O Allaah! Do not misguide him after me, [and guide him as You had guided me, and honor him like You have honored me], and show him what You have showed it to me, and be pleased with him like You have become pleased with me.” It will be said to him: “Go away! If you knew what I have stored for him with Me, you would laugh much and weep little.” So when the other (Believer) passes away, their souls are gathered together [in the Jannah]. Then it will be said [to them]: “This is because of the praising of one of you for his companion.” So, each one of them will say to his companion: “What an excellent brother, and a good companion, and a splendid friend.”

But when one of the Kaafir dies, he is given the tidings of entering the Hellfire. So he remembers his friend and says: “O Allaah! This friend of mine used to command me towards Your disobedience, and disobedience towards Your Messenger; and he used to command me to do evil and forbid me from doing good. He used to tell me that I will not be meeting You (i.e. deny the Judgment). O Allaah! Do not guide him after me so that You show him what You have shown me, and be displeased with him like You are displeased with me.” So when the other Kaafir dies, their souls are gathered together [in the Fire]. Then it will be said: “This is because of the disparagement of both of you for the other.” So, each one of them will say to the other: “What an awful brother, and a bad companion, and a pathetic friend.”❞ [Reported by Ibn Abee Haatim in his Tafseer. The wordings within the brackets are from al-Zuhd of Ibn al-Mubaarak. The authenticity of this narration is unknown]

Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهما, Mujaahid and Qataadah said: Every friendship will turn into enmity on the Day of Judgment except for the Righteous.

﴿يعِبَادِ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمُوَلاَ أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ﴾

{My servants! No fear shall be on you this Day, nor shall you grieve.} Then He will give them the glad tidings:

﴿الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَا وَكَانُواْ مُسْلِمِينَ﴾

{(You) who believed in Our Aayaat and were Muslims.}, means: their hearts believed and they submitted inwardly and outwardly to the Laws of Allaah.

Al-Mu`tamir bin Sulaymaan narrated that his father said: “When the Day of Resurrection comes and the people are resurrected, there will be no one left who will not be filled with terror. Then a caller will cry out:

﴿يعِبَادِ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَلاَ أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ ﴾

{My servants! No fear shall be on you this Day, nor shall you grieve.} So all the people will be filled with hope, but this will be followed by the words:

﴿الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَا وَكَانُواْ مُسْلِمِينَ﴾

{(You) who believed in Our Ayat and were Muslims.} Then all of mankind will be filled with despair apart from the believers.”

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From Tafseer of Shaikh Al-Sa`dee رحمه الله:

Friends on that Day, i.e. the Day of Ressurection, whose friendship was based upon Kufr, lies and disobedience to Allaah, {will be foes one to another}, because their friendship and love in this world was for other than Allaah. So it will turn to enmity on the Day of Judgment. {Except the Muttaqoon (the righteous)}, for their love will last and will be continuous – long lasting because their love was for Allaah’s sake.

Thereafter, Allaah تعالى mentioned the reward for the righteous and that Allaah تعالى will call them on the Day of Judgment by that which will ease their hearts and which will remove from them every kind of trouble and evil.

﴿يَا عِبَادِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَلَا أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ﴾

{My worshippers! No fear shall be on you this Day, nor shall you grieve}, meaning: No fear will be on you of what is going to happen (on this Day), nor will there be any grieve on you for what had happened in the past.

﴿الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا مُسْلِمِينَ﴾

{Those who believed in Our Ayaat and were Muslims}, i.e. Allaah تعالى described them with having Imaan in the Aayaat of Allaah, which consists of believing in all that it implies, and without which this believe is incomplete – i.e. knowing its meaning and acting upon what is required due to it.

﴿وَكَانُوا مُسْلِمِينَ﴾

{and were Muslims}, submitting to Allaah in all their affairs – openly and secretly.