Gems of the Traveler

My father once said: “If you find a single true friend in this life, it’s better for you than a hundred persons who meet you just to pass time or talk (i.e. gup shup). The true friend is ready to give up everything for you, even his own life. The litmus test for a true friend is that if you have an argument with him, he will not backbite about you nor spread gossip nor disrespect you, but rather he’ll maintain that sincerity despite having argued with you. Thus, if you find a single true friend in life, you have found something great indeed.”

When I was listening to this description, one individual came to mind immediately. This very individual once took me out to eat and I noticed he was extremely happy that day, despite all the concerns and worries I knew he had. He told me a dream about himself (seen by an old man who goes to the masjid very frequently). The old man saw my friend in a dream in which he was sitting next to the Prophet (pbuh), and the Prophet (pbuh) was directing him to recite the following du’a:

اللهم اجعلني من عبادك الصالحين
O Allah, make me amongst Your righteous slaves.

That’s just a glimpse of this individual, mashaAllah laa quwwata illa billah, and I was nodding when my father was explaining the concept because there are some people who really fit this blessed category of true friends. May Allah give us beautiful rizq in family and friends.