Sunnah Revival
KEEPING RIGHTEOUS
Amongst the many treasures of this life that can
FRIENDS bring benefit to us both in this world and in the Aakhirah ( Hereafter ), there is one treasure that particularly stands above the rest .
It isn ’ t the glitter and gold nor diamonds and wealth , it isn ’ t power or fame nor the fortune that many only dream of , and work hard towards . It is something so much worthier , worthier than everything else put together . This treasure of which I speak is having Righteous Friends and Companions . In a world where the need for validation comes from the number of “ Facebook friends ” a person has , or from the followers on Instagram , YouTube and Snapchat , we must ask ourselves , do we truly have friends who want the best
However , even though Muslims today are living in such trying and difficult times , in order to succeed in fighting against the lures towards evil desires and to protect from falling into sin , one of the major influences in life , must without a doubt be having righteous friends . Who then is a righteous friend ? Do we just consider anyone who we have known for many years to be our friend ? Or is it someone who we happen to find ourselves in the company of on a regular basis ? As mentioned earlier , it is very easy to say we have many friends due to the social media storm that everyone around us is swept up by . for us ? Friends who are there to help us and hold our hands along the way ? Friends who guide us back when we go astray ? Do we truly have Righteous Friends ?
Without a doubt , the society that we find ourselves in today , is filled with so many ills , vices , and immorality that many a time we may find it hard to keep ourselves grounded . All around us , the world is filled with anything and everything that is meant to appeal to the desires of an individual ; often-times in the form of what is haram for us as Muslims yet making it easily accessible and seemingly the ‘ norm ’. Some may find themselves being easily distracted by these temptations , while struggling to hold on to their Muslim identity and the religion of Islam . It is reported in a hadith that ,
Anas ibn Malik reported : The Messenger of Allah , peace and blessings be upon him , said , “ The people will see a time of patience in which someone adhering to his religion will be as if he were grasping a hot coal .”
Source : Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2260
It is easy to confuse who we think is a righteous friend with those who are simply our ‘ friends ’. Can we tell the difference between those who truly want to see us succeed in this life and more importantly succeed in the Hereafter and those who are simply carrying us along for the ride amidst the worldly distractions ?
We must ask ourselves then , who are Righteous Friends ? They are those who -
Remind us about Allah – One of the most important qualities of righteous friends , are those who , whenever you meet them , remind you about Allah and His Mercies and favours . These friends are the ones who always have something positive to say about Allah and will give you a sense of happiness when these reminders are rendered . These friends understand that true friendship is built upon obedience to Allah alone and love you for the sake of Allah – with this love , righteous friends are eager to see you succeed in both this life and more importantly in the Aakhirah ( Hereafter ). On the other hand , friends who do not have your best interest at heart , will never find the time to remind you about Allah
38 | Ihsaan | Issue 3