One of the causes of happiness in this world and the hereafter is friendship between fellow creatures which is filled with love and compassion, bringing happiness and joy to each other.
Friendship is a gift from a brotherhood based on faith. And ukhuwwah islamiyyah is something that is highly recommended in the Shari'a, even friendship or friendship in Islam helps determine a person's Islam as the words of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam:
“A person is seen as good or bad about the religion of his friend. So if we want to know someone's religion, look with who he is friends with“
History records the eternal friendship between the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam and Abu Bakr ash-Siddiq ra, especially when the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said to his friend Abu Bakr, when he was in a state of fear and full of worry, "Don't be sad, Verily Allah is with us"
A friendship built on the foundation of faith, and Abu Bakr felt the sweetness of struggle and sacrifice with his beloved friend, Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam
Until one day the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "That I was sent by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala to you with the truth", the Quraysh disbelievers said, "You lie, O Muhammad", but not so with Abu Bakr. , he confirmed all the words that came out of his friend's mouth so that he was given the title ash-Siddiq (the honest and always justify) Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam. Not only that, Abu Bakr was even able to sacrifice by spending all his wealth to support the da'wah of the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam and defend the religion of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
Even the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "From Abu Sa'id Al Khudriy radiallahu 'anhum from the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said:
“There will come a time when there will be a group of people who fight and they will be asked: “Are there any of you who have accompanied the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam? Then answered: "Yes". So the team won." And there will come a time, when there will be a group of people who fight and they will be asked: “Are any of you accompanying the companions of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam? Then answered: "Yes". So the team won. And there will come a time when there will be a group of people fighting and they will be asked: “Are there any of you who have accompanied the companions of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam? Then answered: "Yes". So the army won."
A Muslim really needs a friend / companion, who will provide help when he needs it. A believer will be stronger by the presence of his brother, and vice versa weak because of his loneliness.
Brotherhood among Muslims is like a lamp or a lantern. One lamp with another lamp will further illuminate the road, in contrast to only one lamp even though the light is strong but when it goes out, no one can replace its role to illuminate the others. That ukhuwwah complement each other and complement each other.
But on the other hand, making friends with bad people will spread ugliness and affect someone to be bad, even the Prophet sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam prayed, "O Allah, I take refuge from bad friends"
Good friends will always be by our side reminding us when we err, straightening us when we are lost, advising us when we stray from the path of truth. So friendship is like a collection of souls as the Prophet sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam said, 'The spirits are like soldiers who are ready for war, so between the spirits who know each other they will be calm (peace), and between the spirits who do not know him, there will be enemies.' A good person will look for a good friend, as well as a sinner will find a friend who also supports him in his disobedience.
The pleasures of friendship based on faith can never be judged by wealth, so whoever finds a friend who will guide him to Heaven, hold on to him tightly and don't let go because he has got good luck in this world and the hereafter.
The lucky person is the one who has found a friend in the world and the hereafter, and the most loser is the one who has wasted a pious friend.
Because friendship is based on faith, good deeds and advising each other in truth and patience, not only does Allah unite them in the world, but even in the hereafter they help each other as the word of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala in the Qur'an in the letter az-Zukhruf verse 67 :
"The close friends on that day some of them become enemies to others except those who are pious."
Even they were sorry and said, as the word of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala in the letter al-Furqan verse 28:
“Great accident for me; I wish I didn't make sifulan a close friend (of mine)."
However, in making friends with pious people, we must also have patience, as the word of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala in Surah al-Kahf verse 28:
"And be patient with you (Muhammad) with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and evening, hoping for His pleasure."
Even our friends are ordinary people, no matter how good and pious they are, they still have flaws, there is a disgrace that we have to take care of, so the recipe for that friendship is maintained, that is, avoid having mutual suspicions with our friends, because misjudgment is a lie.
Friendship at this time develops its form, one of which is friendship or friendship in cyberspace. Not infrequently friendship in this form violates sharia values, such as showing genitalia, spreading hoaxes, hatred, insults and slander. However, it is undeniable that social media can be a means of goodness too, so it all comes back to us in utilizing these facilities, used for goodness, God willing, it becomes a good reward, otherwise it is used in disobedience, so sin is obtained. So use morals in establishing friendships both in the virtual world and in the real world.
Friendship is actually the union of our hearts in obedience and pleasure of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala, even though we have never met or even know each other before, because a strong friendship is not one that is built on a foundation of wealth or worldly interests, because it is actually Allah who unites hearts. believers, as He says in Surah al-Anfal verse 63:
"And it is He (Allah) who unites their hearts (the believers). Even if you spend all (wealth) on earth, you cannot unite their hearts, but Allah has united their hearts. Indeed, He is Mighty, Most Wise."
May Allah grant us friends who can save us in this world and be our intercessor in the hereafter.
Wallahu a'lam bishsawab
Ahmad Yemen
Medina al-Munawwarah
13 Safar 1444 H
September 9, 2022 AD
Sunnah.
Barakallah fiik ustadz.