Misguiding Friends –
Once three noblemen from the non-Muslims of Mecca, Abu Jahl, Abu Sufyan and Akhnas Bin Shariq, spent the night secretly listening to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, reciting the Holy Quran. They were even hidden from each other and only realized what the others had done when they headed for their homes at dawn. They rebuked each other and commanded each other not to repeat their actions as this would only give the impression that Islam was the truth. But none of them stuck to their advice and repeated the same thing the next night and the night after that. On the third night, they once again criticized each other and urged each other to make a promise not to repeat their behaviour. This has been recorded in Imam Ibn Kathir’s, the Life of the Prophet, Volume 1, Pages 366-367.
If they were not such bad companions to each other, perhaps they would have accepted the truth, then and there. Therefore, this indicates the importance of avoiding bad companionship.
Muslims should note that a major sign of true love is when one directs their beloved towards the obedience of Allah, the Exalted, which involves fulfilling His commands, refraining from His prohibitions and facing destiny with patience. This is because obedience leads to success and safety in both this world and in the hereafter. A person who does not desire safety and success for a person can never truly love them irrespective of what they claim or how they treat the other person. The same way a person becomes happy when their beloved obtains worldly success, like a job, they will also desire their beloved to obtain success in the hereafter. If a person does not care about another obtaining safety and success especially, in the next world then they do not love them.
A true lover could not bear knowing and seeing their beloved facing difficulties and punishment in this world or in the next. This is only avoidable through the sincere obedience of Allah, the Exalted. Therefore, they would always direct their beloved towards the obedience of Allah, the Exalted. If a person directs another towards their own selfish interest or the interest of others instead of the obedience of Allah, the Exalted, it is a clear sign that they do not truly love them. This applies to all relationships such as friendships and relatives.
Therefore, a Muslim should assess whether those in their life direct them towards Allah, the Exalted, or not. If they do then it is a clear sign of their love for them. If they do not then it is a clear sign that they do not truly love them. Chapter 43 Az Zukhruf, verse 67:
“Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except for the righteous.”
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