Is it permissible to take a friend as a close companion?
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The Shaykh : Do you take your friend as a close companion? He is upright, a good man. It came in the hadith: Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim 33:79 As for taking the Messenger as a close companion, that is prohibited. But we are not prohibited from taking the Messenger as a close companion, or from taking as a close companion one who deserves love and companionship. We are not prohibited from that.
But the thing that people must guard against is what is found among some young men and women: love for Allah that begins as love for the sake of Allah, then grows until it becomes love alongside Allah, competing with the love of Allah. If it does not overcome the love of Allah, a person first loves for the sake of Allah, then this love grows and grows and grows until it overpowers the love of Allah, and there is nothing in his heart but the love of this person. This is a serious matter, a serious matter. A person must be alert to it himself, and he must alert others to it, so that love for the sake of Allah does not become love alongside Allah, for that would be shirk (associating partners with Allah), a type of shirk.[Al-Baqarah 2:165] We ask Allah to make us and you among those who believe. The brother Hajjaj points to me and says the time is up. And Allah knows best. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon His Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions.
The student: There is still time.
The Shaykh : No, your watch says twelve. Well, fine, let’s go.
He says, “Come, Ibrahim, the close friend of the Merciful Lord…” Never raise your hands at a time when it is close to the end of the time.
He says: “The close friend of the Merciful Lord.” We said, why did he say “the close friend of the Merciful Lord” and not “a messenger”? Because the status of close friendship (khullah) is the highest thing that befalls a person. Therefore, as far as we know, Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, did not choose from among His servants a close friend (khalil) except Ibrahim and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them both). Yes, Ali.
The questioner : The objection is that Noah (peace be upon him) mentioned the close friendship (khullah) of Ibrahim, and Ibrahim had not yet come. This statement is on the Day of Resurrection, and the Day of Resurrection occurs, so how is this cited?
The Shaykh : But Noah (peace and blessings be upon him) died before Ibrahim was born. So who informed him that he was a close friend (khalil)?
The questioner : … He is from his descendants, he knows him.
The Shaykh : This is what we said. We said either it was by revelation from Allah, or the deeds of the prophets were presented to the prophets, or we say, by the safest path, without discussing by what means this knowledge reached Noah, that the safest is to say: thus the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, so we believe in it, and there is no need to investigate what the path was that led to Noah’s knowledge of this matter.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, it is the most specific of the most specific. Now the time is up.
A man follows the religion of his close friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.
المرء على دين خليله فلينظر أحدكم من يخاللBut the thing that people must guard against is what is found among some young men and women: love for Allah that begins as love for the sake of Allah, then grows until it becomes love alongside Allah, competing with the love of Allah. If it does not overcome the love of Allah, a person first loves for the sake of Allah, then this love grows and grows and grows until it overpowers the love of Allah, and there is nothing in his heart but the love of this person. This is a serious matter, a serious matter. A person must be alert to it himself, and he must alert others to it, so that love for the sake of Allah does not become love alongside Allah, for that would be shirk (associating partners with Allah), a type of shirk.
And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah
ومن الناس من يتخذ من دون الله أنداداً يحبونهم كحب الله والذين آمنوا أشد حباً للهThe student: There is still time.
The Shaykh : No, your watch says twelve. Well, fine, let’s go.
He says, “Come, Ibrahim, the close friend of the Merciful Lord…” Never raise your hands at a time when it is close to the end of the time.
He says: “The close friend of the Merciful Lord.” We said, why did he say “the close friend of the Merciful Lord” and not “a messenger”? Because the status of close friendship (khullah) is the highest thing that befalls a person. Therefore, as far as we know, Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, did not choose from among His servants a close friend (khalil) except Ibrahim and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them both). Yes, Ali.
The questioner : The objection is that Noah (peace be upon him) mentioned the close friendship (khullah) of Ibrahim, and Ibrahim had not yet come. This statement is on the Day of Resurrection, and the Day of Resurrection occurs, so how is this cited?
The Shaykh : But Noah (peace and blessings be upon him) died before Ibrahim was born. So who informed him that he was a close friend (khalil)?
The questioner : … He is from his descendants, he knows him.
The Shaykh : This is what we said. We said either it was by revelation from Allah, or the deeds of the prophets were presented to the prophets, or we say, by the safest path, without discussing by what means this knowledge reached Noah, that the safest is to say: thus the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, so we believe in it, and there is no need to investigate what the path was that led to Noah’s knowledge of this matter.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, it is the most specific of the most specific. Now the time is up.