Chapter V: Duties Towards Companions and Friends
One of two friends went astray. One friend asked him : Have you not forsaken him ? He said : I wish to remain with him more now. I shall have to lift him up by catching him by his hand. I shall have to rebuke him with sweet words and I shall have to call him to his former conditions.
It has been narrated that iwo friends of Banu Israil engaged in divine service in a hill. One of them one day got down and went to a market to buy meat. He saw there an unchaste woman and fell in love with her., He called her in a lonely place and satisfied his lust. This continued for three days. His friends in the .
hill came down to search for him and found him following a woman. He embraced and kissed his friend and said : I have come to know your condition . Now let us go to the hill for divine service. So his friend went with him to the hill being repentant. ;J One should not cut off the relationship from his relative who is seen engaged in a sin. God said to His Prophet in connection with his relatives. If your relatives disobey you, say : I am displeased with what you do — 26.-216Q . He did not say : I am pleased with your actions. Rather he said : I am displeased with your action.
When Abu Darda'a was asked : Why do you not hate your friend who is doing this sin ? He said : Surely I hate his sinful etc, but how can I hate him as he is my brother in religion ? Brotherhood of religion is greater than that of relationship. A wise man was asked : Who is dearer to you, friend or a brother ? He said : If my brother is my friend, he is dearer to me. Hazrat Hasan Basari said:
Vol-II Love and Brotherhood 111
How many friends there are who are not born of your mother. It has, therefore, been said : love is necessary for relationship but relationship is not necessary for love. Hazrat Jafar Sadeq said .
Connection is made out of love of one day and relationship is made out of love of one year. God severs connection with one who severs connection with this relatives. It is compulsory to keep the tie of friendship. One should not make friendship with great sinner from the very beginning, but when it is done, it should not be cut off.