Good Companionship
Author: Shaikh Saleem al Hilaalee
Source: A lecture he gave with the same title
Good companionship, choosing and having good companions is extremely important
for many reasons and from many aspects.
1. Mankind cannot live alone; every individual must live and interact with
others.
2. Those people who you sit with and make your friends are inevitably going to
fall into one of two categories. Either they are going to be good individuals -
who guide and encourage you towards what is good and help you to accomplish that
which Allaah has ordered, or they are going to be bad - encouraging you to do
what is pleasing to Shaytaan, that which misleads you, and leads you to the
Hell-Fire.
3. When the Prophet (saws) was sent with the Da'wah to establish the Deen of al-Islaam,
he did not do it on his own. Rather, Allaah chose for him companions who
accompanied him and who carried the Message until it was complete.
These three aspects show the importance of having good companions, companions
who are Saalih (righteous). Such a companion will help you to do what is good
and remind you of Allaah, he will enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil.
They also show the importance of avoiding keeping bad companions. Such a
companion will have a bad effect upon you, they help you to do those deeds which
are displeasing to Allaah and which lead to the Hell-Fire - and we seek Allaah's
refuge from that.
The Prophet (saws) explained the matter of good companionship, so that no room
is left for doubt or confusion, when he said: "A person is upon the Deen of
his khaleel - close friend, so look to whom you befriend." [Abu Dawood and
At-Tirmidhee]
This means that a person is upon the same manhaj (methodology) as his friend,
the same tareeq (path) as his friend, the same nature, manner and behavior as
his friend. So we must be careful about whom we befriend. There is an Arabic
expression - 'Your companion is what pulls you to something.' So if your
companion is good, he will pull to towards that which is good. But if your
companion is bad, he will only pull you towards that which is evil. We must
choose our friends and companions carefully so that we take friends who are
sincere, and who will order us with what is good and forbid us from what is
evil. If he observes us committing sins he would warn us, if he becomes aware of
our shortcomings he would advise us, and if he finds a fault in us he would
cover it. About this the Prophet (saws) said, "A Muslim is the brother of
another Muslim. He neither betrays him nor tells him a lie, nor humiliates
him." [At-Tirmidhee]
So should you see a fault in your brother, you should wish to remove that fault
from him and not expose it to the people. This is what is required by
brotherhood and again stresses the importance of choosing friends who are upon
the correct way, who are loyal, and who hide your faults whilst ordering you
with good and forbidding you from evil, who stand beside you and support you,
and co-operate with you upon all that is good.
The Prophet (saws) also explained this great principle further in another
narration, wherein he stated, "Do not keep company except with a believer,
and do not feed except a person who has taqwaa (fear of Allaah)." [Abu
Dawood and At-Tirmidhee]
This principle is important from the standpoint of how the Deen is to be
established, and from the standpoint of what brotherhood is and what it does.
Indeed, the reason that one takes a companion is to help him establish his
Islaam, and to help him worship Allaah. We find a good example in the Prophet
Moosaa - the one whom Allaah chose and spoke to. When Allaah sent him to Fir'awn,
he said, "And appoint for me a helper from my family, Haaroon - my brother;
increase my strength with him, and let him share my task (of conveying Allaah's
Message and Prophethood), that we may glorify You much and remember You
much." [20:29-34]
Moosaa wanted his brother to support him and help him, protect him and accompany
him. And this is what the believers do for one another. For the thing that binds
the believers together and makes them brothers is Eemaan. The Prophet (saws)
said, "There are three characteristics; whoever has them will taste the
sweetness of Eemaan: That Allaah and His Messenger are more beloved to him than
all else, that he loves a person and does not love him except for Allaah, and
that he would hates to revert to unbelief just as he would hate to be thrown
into the Fire." [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]
Thus the connection between the believers is based upon Eemaan and sincere
brotherhood. Be warned against taking any companion if such companionship is
based upon other than this, for if you were to do that you would then bite your
hands in grief. Just as the unjust ones will bite their hands in grief on the
Last Day. Saying, "Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger.
Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a friend! He indeed led
me astray from the Reminder (the Qur'aan) after it had come to me." [25:27]
And Allaah says, "And whosoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most
Beneficent (Allaah), We appoint for him Shaytaan to be a Qareen (intimate
companion) to him." [43:36]
So all of the physical togetherness that you see around you, which is based upon
other than Eemaan will be wiped away on that Day, and it will be a source of
misery and torture for them. Allaah says that those who love one another for
other than the sake of Allaah will be "...foes one to another..." on
the Last Day. [43:67]
It is only the brotherhood that is based upon Eemaan and Taqwaa that is the true
and lasting brotherhood. All of those who come together for materialistic
reasons; because of complexion, because of nationality, or for whatever other
reason, will be enemies one to another "...except al-Muttaqoon." Those
who have Taqwaa, and love a brother only because he is upon the Path of Allaah
and has the same Eemaan that they have; he has taken the path of the Messenger
(saws) and the Salafus-Saalih (righteous predecessors). So be careful, before
you slip and find yourself exposed to a fitnah, which you never imagined, all
because you were not careful about whom you took as a companion.
The Prophet (saws) said, "The case of the good companion and the bad
companion is like that of the seller of musk and the blower of the bellows
(iron-smith). As for the seller of musk, he will either give you some of the
musk, or you will purchase some from him, or at least you will come away having
experienced its good smell. Whereas the blower of the bellows will either burn
your clothing, or at least you will come away having experienced its repugnant
smell." [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]
The good companion has been given this similitude because he is righteous and
will help you to remember Allaah. If he sees you make a mistake he will advise
you and support you, whereas the bad companion would forsake you; leaving you at
the time when you are most in need of him. "And remember the Day when the
Dhaalim (wrong-doer, oppressor) will bite at his hands, he will say, 'Oh! Would
that I had taken a path with the Messenger. Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had
never taken so-and-so as a friend! He indeed led me astray from the Reminder
(this Qur'aan) after it had come to me. And Shaytaan is ever a deserter to man
in the hour of need'." [25:27-29]
The bad companion is the Shaytaan from amongst mankind, and the Shayaateen are
both men and jinns. Sometimes the harm that comes from the Shayaateen amongst
men is greater than the harm that comes from the Shayaateen of the jinn. As a
matter of fact the Shayaateen amongst mankind could probably teach the
Shayaateen from the jinn a few things they didn't know!
So in this hadeeth, where the Prophet (saws) said that the good companion is
like the seller of musk - which is a particular type of perfume, one of the best
- it is said that either you will take some from him or you will get some of its
fragrance on you. It can be seen that from the good companion you will either
pick up good actions and statements from his example - obeying Allaah because he
does so and because he supports you in that, ordering what is good and
forbidding what is evil, acquiring good characteristics and qualities and
beneficial knowledge - or if he sees you becoming weak in your Eemaan he will
advise you and help you.
A good example of this can be found in the Prophet (saws), who was ma'soom (free
from making sins). When he was making the hijrah (migration) from Makkah to
Madinah he would not leave until he had chosen a companion to accompany him on
his way. Abu Bakr offered to go with him and make the hijrah also, but the
Prophet (saws) ordered him to wait until Allaah allowed him to do so. This
implies that the fact that Abu Bakr was to be the Prophet's companion on this
hijrah was a choice from Allaah, and so great a choice and such a blessing that
Allaah mentioned it in the Qur'aan.
"Allaah did indeed help him (Muhammad) when the disbelievers drove him out.
The second of the two, when they (Muhammad and Abu Bakr) were in the cave, and
he (saws) said to his companion, 'Be not sad (or afraid), surely Allaah is with
us'." [9:40]
He (saws) said, 'Surely Allaah is with us', not 'with me', since Abu Bakr had
supported the Prophet in the establishing of the Deen of Allaah, he had thus
earned the right to be supported by Allaah also.
Abu Bakr - a good friend and companion, one who was willing to sacrifice
everything for the sake of Allaah and to the service of His Messenger (saws);
his blood, his wealth, his sweat, his tears and everything that he owned he gave
for Allaah's sake. Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq, may Allaah be pleased with him and he
pleased with Allaah, the first Khaleefah after the Prophet (saws) and his great
companion, the best of this Ummah after the Prophet, sets for us this great
example of the good companion who is like the perfume merchant.