Friends of Allah

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Allah Most High says, ‘He who is hostile to a friend (Wali) of Mine I declare war against. My slave approaches Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory for him, and My slave keeps drawing nearer to Me with voluntary works until I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely give to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him.’” [Sahih Bukhari]

Allah’s friends are those who are constant and sincere in obedience to Him. A friend (Wali) of Allah is one who is close to Him because of his devotion to Him, through obeying His commands and shunning the acts which he has forbidden. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) declares war against those who harass people because of their Islam. Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) says that He will fight such people Himself. And whoever such a thing should happen to, should expect only the worst possible things to happen to him or her.

This hadith also tells us that the obligatory deeds (Faraid) are the most beloved to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). Nothing makes Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) happier than performance of Faraid and keeping away from the forbidden deeds (Haraam). This is what makes a person a friend of Allah’s. We should also keep the performance of obligatory (Fard) and recommended (Sunnah/Nafl) deeds in perspective. It is said that the recommended deed amounts to but one-seventieth of the value of an obligatory deed. [Reliance of the Traveller by Ahmad ibn Naqib Al-Misri]

Thus, whoever draws near to Allah through what is obligatory, and then through the recommended deeds, Allah draws him nearer to Himself and elevates him from the level of true faith (Iman) to the level of perfection of faith (Ihsan). The consequence of this is the preservation of the individual’s whole person, so that he forsakes selfish desires and is wholly absorbed in obedience.

This hadith is also a metaphor for Allah’s help and assistance. By Allah becoming someone’s hearing or sight or hand what is meant is that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) helps the Momin to perceive what He wants him to perceive and do through his limbs what He wants him to do.

When a Momin becomes a friend of Allah’s, Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) grants the Momin what he asks for. This happened to many of the early Muslims, and Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) protects such a person from whatever he fears. Whoever draws near to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) through the above will not have his duas rejected.