Chapter V: Duties Towards Companions and Friends
right of friendship appertains to faith Accord good treatment to friends. God says: Tell My servants that they should say those things that are best, for the devil sows dissensions among them-:7:53 Q. God says about Joseph that he said: When God took me out of prison, He was indeed good to me and took you all from the desert even after the devil had sown enmity between me and my brothers — 12:100. Friendship becomes lasting when it is done for the sake of God. If one makes friendship for a certain purpose, ft ends when the purpose is fulfilled. The result of friendship for God is not hatred for any matter, temporal or spiritual. God says of this love for Him : They don't find any necessity (hatred) in their hearts for what they are given and they take to self sacrifice for friends. Finding any necessity means here hatred.
(8) Not to give trouble to a friend: Don't inflict trouble to your friend and give up the giving of trouble and taking of 'trouble. Don't ask anything from his wealth and properties.
Don't hope to get any benefit from his name and fame. Don't tell him : Take my care and fulfill the duties towards me. Hope for the rewards of his prayer, meet with him and help in his duties of religion and seek nearness of God by fulfilling duties towards him. A certain wise man said : The friend who places his honour above the honour of his friend and thinks himself superior to his friend, commits sin and allows another to commit it. The man who considers his friend as his equal suffers mental agony. The man who considers himself inferior to his friend keeps himself and his friend safe Hazrat Ayesha said : A believer is brother to another believer. He does not seek advantage over him and does not inflict trouble on him . Hazrat Juniad said : I kept company with four classes of Sufis There were thirty Sufis in each class.
They are Hares Mohasabi and his party men, Hasan Majusi and his party men, Sarri Sakti and his party men, Ibaul Karabi and his party men. Those who made friends out of them for the sake of God, did not inflict trouble on one another and did not keep company with one another without any reason. A certain sage said : Live with the worldly people with good manners. Live with the people of the next world with knowledge and live as you wish with the God-fearing people.
Know, O dear readers that there are three classes of people.
You will gain benefit by association with only one class of people
114 The Book of Wordly Usages Vol-II