Real friends?

I just wanted to touch on a topic that i would like to express my feelings about. Friendship. which is a strong bond between people that is linked with hearts.

d. Freind: a person you know well and regard with affection and trust.

The word 'friend' gets tossed around alot. its used in vain. Nowadays trust has vanished between alot of us and we cant seem to be genuine to anyone in fear of getting hurt. Especially within the Ummah. Here in the UK many muslim sisters have become two-faced to eachother and act like enemies rather than sisters. its all 'she dun wot wiv dat man' and jealousy. The honesty and loyalty has seemed to have faded between us as a whole because we have become self centred in this world full of fitna and materialism.

Many of us muslims sisters comfortably backbite about others without any intention of stopping but we get vexed when we hear someone backbiting about us. and then we form these little cliques against eachother out of vain hate and blindness. Even though we may not be biological sisters. Allah has made us no less than sisters in faith. So why abuse this? we are poisoning our hearts and we aint exactly doing credit to ourselves =\

For me, honestly i love all my tru ones. And to be honest i dunno wat id do without them. But i find it so hard to trust anyone (even muslimahs) because of all this deceit and unloyalty. any sista on here would wish that would go away. Our friends either have a good influence or bad influence on us. So we either be a good influence on our friends by advising them islamicly or we either are a bad influence on them, turning them away from dhikr.

Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was further asked, "Who is the best among people?" Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) replied, "He who, when you look at him, you remember Allah (SWT)".

and:

"Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken such-and-such as a friend!" Noble Qur'an (25:28)

"Friends on that day will be foes to one and another - except the Righteous Ones." Noble Qur'an (43:67)

Meaning that either our friendship with a person is leading us on the right path or deviating us away from it. In the end, were all gonna die and all that will matter is our deeds. So we want a friendship that is sweet and also beneficial for us. How can a friend be a friend if they are infact detrimental?

Also a key factor in friendship is patience. We all have to be patient with our friends for the sake of Allah because it is worthwile and we are only human, so we arent perfect.

So in conclusion to alll of this, loook into yourself and see what needs patching up and fixed in order to become a better person. and when you see a true friendship that is beneficial for you. grab hold of it with both hands because one day you will regret letting it slip away when you most need it. A friend in need is a friend in deed. And therefore sisters (and brothers :) ) i ask of you to be true to your fellow muslims and to have mutual respect and kindness to eachother

salaaam :) xxx

Imam Ali (as) Says: "Live amongst people in such a manner that if you die they weep over you and if you are alive they crave for your company (friendship)."