Friends Of Allah
﴿ أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوْلِيَآءَ اللهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴾
No doubt! Indeed, the friends of Allah f will have no fear
upon them and they will not grieve. [10:62]
One must reflect on what is meant by ‘there will be no fear’. Some commentators are of the opinion that fear and grieving in this context refers to the fear and grieving in Paradise.
Many disagree with this opinion, as they argue that if that is the case, there is nothing special and exclusive for the friends of Allah f as no one in Jannah will feel fear or grief.
According to them, those who are the friends of Allah f will not fear and grieve at anything attached to this world (provision, employment etc.) and neither will they have no fear and sorrow in the Hereafter. [1]
Their faith and reliance solely on Allah f will protect them from these feelings in this world.
The Prophet Muhammed g stated that if one has reliance in Allah f completely, then it is like the example of a bird. They go in the morning with an empty stomach, and they come back full; they never worry about how they will attain food and Allah fprovides for them as he is their Creator.’
The Prophet g said:
« لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ تَوَكَّلْتُمْ عَلَى اللهِ حَقَّ تَوَكُّلِهِ لَرَزَقَكُمْ كَمَا يَرْزُقُ الطَّيْرَ ، تَغْدُو خِمَاصًا وَتَرُوحُ بِطَانًا »
If you all depend on Allah f with due reliance, He would certainly give you provision, just as He gives it to birds who go forth hungry in the morning
and return with full bellies at dusk. [2]
The friends of Allah f are the Prophets p, and those who follow the Prophets p and are close to them through their deeds.
The two distinct qualities of the friends of Allah f are remembering Him and submitting completely to His Will through obedience.
Each one of us has the potential of becoming a friend of Allah f. Being the first to enter the Masjid or being in the first row when performing Ṣalāh is not the requirement, neither is being an Imām or a preacher.
The conditions are simple: remember Allah f and obey Him in every aspect of your life.
We learn from the following Ḥadīth:
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ : « إِنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِ اللهِ لَأُنَاسًا ، مَا هُمْ بِأَنْبِيَاءَ وَلاَ شُهَدَاءَ ،
يَغْبِطُهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءُ وَالشُّهَدَاءُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِمَكَانِهِمْ مِنَ اللهِ تَعَالَى » .
قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ تُخْبِرُنَا ، مَنْ هُمْ ؟ قَالَ :
« هُمْ قَوْمٌ تَحَابُّوا بِرُوحِ اللهِ عَلَى غَيْرِ أَرْحَامٍ بَيْنَهُمْ وَلَا أَمْوَالٍ يَتَعَاطَوْنَهَا ، فَوَاللهِ إِنَّ وُجُوهَهُمْ لَنُورٌ وَإِنَّهُمْ عَلَى نُورٍ ، لَا يَخَافُونَ إِذَا خَافَ النَّاسُ ، وَلاَ يَحْزَنُونَ إِذَا حَزِنَ النَّاسُ » . وَقَرَأَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ :
﴿ أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴾
There are people from the servants of Allah who are neither prophets nor martyrs; the prophets and martyrs will envy them on the Day of Resurrection for their rank from Allah f.
They (the people) asked, “Tell us, Messenger of Allah, who are they?”
He replied: “They are people who love one another for the spirit of Allah, without having any mutual kinship and giving property to one. I swear by Allah, their faces will glow and they will be (sitting) in (pulpits of) light. They will have no fear (on the Day) when the people will be afraid, and they will not grieve when the people will grieve.”
He then recited the following Qur’ānic verse:
No doubt! Indeed, the friends of Allah f will have no fear
upon them and they will not grieve. [3]
We must endeavour to become close to Allah f; being His friend should be the ultimate goal of our life.
[1] Usmānī, Shafī‘, Ma‘ārif al-Qur’ān, 4:557.
[2] Tirmidhī, 2498.
[3] Abū Dāwūd, 3257.
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“The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
