Have you ever thought about whom you\nbefriend, whom you have relations with, and how your life is affected by their\ncharacteristics and behaviors?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The truth is that there is no success\nwithout friendship relations. Friends are treasures which should be sought, and\nin order to find them, one should make effort to distinguish precious pearls\nfrom valueless rocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Friendship is a matter of selection\nand choosing. You cannot pick your friends randomly. Therefore, before\naccidents and coincidences choose friends for us based on improper criteria, we\nhave to choose friends ourselves based on correct principles. Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP) has said,\u201d People are on the religion of their friends. So beware\nof whom you choose as friends (1)\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These delicate matters have caused\npeople to go two extremes: some have decided not to have any friends and become\nsecluded, while others have considered befriending as an entertainment, which\nhas made them choose friends without having a common purpose. If we look\ncarefully, we realize that both these methods are incorrect! Neither choosing\nfriends randomly, nor becoming secluded from people is correct. So what should\nwe do? What are the correct criteria for choosing friends?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the time of Prophet Jesus (PBUH),\nsome people had the same question. So they went to Prophet Jesus (PBUH) and\nasked him,\u201d O Ruhullah (2)! Whom should be befriend?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prophet Jesus (PBUH) replied,\u201d\nBefriend someone whose seeing reminds you of God, whose words increases your\nknowledge, and whose deeds encourages you towards the Hereafter\u2026(3)\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The issue of befriending someone and\nhaving affection towards him is the most influential factor in changing one\u2019s\npersonality; therefore, if the selection of a friend is based on correct\ncriteria, it will lead to guidance; however, if it is based on improper\ncriteria, it may turn into a fire that destroys one\u2019s life. If we look around\nourselves carefully, we will find people whose seeing makes us forget Allah\n(SWT). On the other hand, there are people whose actions, deeds,\ncharacteristics, appearance, and behavior save us from negligence. The second\ngroup are those whose accompany reminds us of Allah (SWT), whose words open\nfield of knowledge, and whose actions encourage us towards doing good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is appropriate to follow the\ninstructions of Prophet Jesus (PBUH) on the eve of his birthday. Let us think\nwith ourselves: Whom have we befriended? Whom are we relating to? How are they\naffecting our lives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(The above is a\nselection taken from \u201cFriendship and Friends\u201d, by Hujjat al-Islam Sayyid Hadi\nMudarrisi (with some additions))<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Roshd Website congratulates all\nmonotheists of the world, especially you dear friend, upon the birthday\nanniversary of the clear sign of Allah (SWT) and His glad tidings, Prophet\nJesus (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Amali of\nTusi, p. 518- Mustadrak al-Wasa\u2019il, vol. 8, p. 327<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. The spirit of\nAllah, the title of Prophet Jesus (PBUH)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Usul al-Kafi,\nvol. 1, p. 39<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Have you ever thought about whom you befriend, whom you have relations with, and how your life is affected by their characteristics and behaviors? The truth is that there is no success without friendship relations. Friends are treasures which should be sought, and in order to find them, one should make effort to distinguish precious […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28248,28419],"tags":[24139,24140,24141,20137,18072,17964,17890,18418,19015,24065,24138],"class_list":["post-4767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","category-the-birth-of-prophet-jesus-pbuh","tag-2010-12-25","tag-befriend","tag-characteristics","tag-friendship","tag-god","tag-knowledge","tag-life","tag-occasion-letters","tag-relations","tag-the-birthday-of-prophet-jesus","tag-whom-to-befriend"],"yoast_head":"\n