True Friendship

A person came crying and weeping to Shaykh Shiblee and said, ‘O Shaykh, I have destroyed myself; make du’aa for me that may Allah take me away from this world.’

People, whose relationship with Allah is strong, will never ever dream of committing suicide. Those people who enjoy the pleasures of this world; alcohol, drug, women, dubbing, etc., they are the people who will ultimately, want to commit suicide because they will get sick of this world. Those who enjoy the pleasures of this world by committing sins will be surrounded by problems from all four sides. They have brought these problems upon themselves through disobedience to Allah The Almighty.

Such people begin to feel they will only find peace, if they are dead. An Urdu poet has said: Now out of fear you desire to die (But) even after death, if you do not find peace, where will you go?

Now, overpowered by calamities and problems, you desire to die and you consider death a solution to all your problems, but if, after death, you do not find peace in the grave, if you do not find peace on the Day of Qiyaamah, if you do not find peace on the Pul Siraat and you are deprived of entry in Jannah, then where will you go?

So the person said to Shaykh Shiblee, ‘I have a big problem. Make du’aa that may Allah Ta’ala take me away from this world.’

The Shaykh said, ‘Calm down, take it easy, what is the problem?’ He replied, ‘I had a very close friend, and I loved him very much. We were friends for a very long time. He sacrificed everything for me and I sacrificed everything for him. I had never thought that he will ever leave me but he has left me. Now my heart is empty. I cannot survive without him. I love him so much that I want him back, and if I cannot have him back, then I want to die.’

The Shaykh soothed him and asked him to calm down saying, ‘Look, there is no need to lose hope. Why do you want to die when there is a solution to your problem?’

He quickly said, very happily, ‘Tell me what is the solution, tell me quickly! Since he has left me I have not been eating, drinking or sleeping. There is no joy in my life. Please tell me quickly.’

The Shaykh replied, ‘The only way to forget a friend who has left you is to make a new friend.’ He said, ‘O Shaykh, after ten to fifteen years of loyal friendship, he has left me and I am suffering. And you are telling me to make a new friend. I fear that if the same thing happens, then what will become of me.’

Shaykh Shiblee said, ‘What if I find you a friend who will never leave you. In fact, if you are disloyal to him and after years of disloyalty, you go back to him saying O my friend! Forgive me. I want to be your friend again, he will immediately accept you again as a friend.’ He said, ‘O Shaykh! Show me this friend! Who is this friend that is so loyal.’

The Shaykh replied, ‘Turn to Allah and make friendship with Him.'