What are the characteristics of the awliya (close friends of Allah), and how can a Muslim become a close friend of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)?
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The questioner : What are the characteristics of the awliya, the awliya of Allah, and how can a Muslim become a close friend of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. The awliya of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) are those who took charge of His affairs, upheld His Shari'ah, believed in Him (Exalted and Majestic is He), and were among the supporters of His religion. Allah has clarified this in His saying:[Yunus 10:62-63] These are the awliya of Allah who believed in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree, its good and its evil. They believed with complete faith and sincere certainty, and they were mindful of Allah. They were mindful of the sins of Allah, so they fulfilled the obligatory and abandoned the forbidden. Thus, they were righteous in appearance and in reality. How beautiful is the phrase that the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) used to say, or rather, that he said (may Allah have mercy on him): "Whoever is a believer and mindful of Allah is a close friend of Allah". And the friendship of Allah includes love for the sake of Allah and hatred for the sake of Allah, such that a person loves someone not for any reason other than for the sake of Allah, and hates someone not for any reason other than for the sake of Allah.
As for what some people mention, who claim to be awliya while they are open sinners and licentious, this is a lie and deception. Allah may cause extraordinary events to occur through the hands of these people, which may become a trial. These extraordinary events that come to other than the awliya are from the Shayatins; they bring a person news of people, or carry him in the air, or do something similar, and he says: This is from the friendship of Allah. Whoever claims the friendship of Allah and calls people to revere and honor him is not among the awliya of Allah, because this is self-praise and self-admiration, and self-praise is among the forbidden things. Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said:[An-Najm 53:32] meaning, do not claim that it is pure. A person may claim that he is pure, or imagine that he is pure, while he is not so.
As for His saying (Exalted is He):, the meaning is not that he purified it with his tongue and said that he is pure, or that he believed in its purity in his heart. Rather, the meaning of His saying (Exalted is He): is that he did what purifies his soul.
And on this occasion, I warn my brothers who have among them those who claim the friendship of Allah, while they are the farthest people from it, because they oppose Allah and His Messenger. Let my brothers beware of these people and their like, the practitioners of sorcery and those who play with people's minds, for they have no friendship with Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you and bless you. From Irbid, Jordan. This questioner says.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. The awliya of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) are those who took charge of His affairs, upheld His Shari'ah, believed in Him (Exalted and Majestic is He), and were among the supporters of His religion. Allah has clarified this in His saying:
(62) Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve (63) Those who believed and were fearing Allah
أَلا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ * الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَAs for what some people mention, who claim to be awliya while they are open sinners and licentious, this is a lie and deception. Allah may cause extraordinary events to occur through the hands of these people, which may become a trial. These extraordinary events that come to other than the awliya are from the Shayatins; they bring a person news of people, or carry him in the air, or do something similar, and he says: This is from the friendship of Allah. Whoever claims the friendship of Allah and calls people to revere and honor him is not among the awliya of Allah, because this is self-praise and self-admiration, and self-praise is among the forbidden things. Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said:
So do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him.
فَلا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَىAs for His saying (Exalted is He):
He has succeeded who purifies it.
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَاHe has succeeded who purifies it.
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَاAnd on this occasion, I warn my brothers who have among them those who claim the friendship of Allah, while they are the farthest people from it, because they oppose Allah and His Messenger. Let my brothers beware of these people and their like, the practitioners of sorcery and those who play with people's minds, for they have no friendship with Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you and bless you. From Irbid, Jordan. This questioner says.