Hadith About Friendship: 7 Authentic Hadith on Good Friends
Contents
Think of the friend you call first when something goes wrong. Over the years, that person shapes how you speak, what you laugh at and even how you pray. The Prophet ﷺ knew this, and many a hadith about friendship teaches us how to choose friends and how to keep them. Here are seven authentic hadith, from the musk seller and the blacksmith to the man an angel met on the road.
At a glance
- Hadith: 7 (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud)
- Grades: Sahih or Hasan, graders named
- Topic: Friendship, good company, love for the sake of Allah
- Key hadith: The musk seller and the blacksmith (Bukhari 2101)
- Do today: Tell one good friend that you love them for the sake of Allah
1. The musk seller and the blacksmith
Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the best-known hadith about friendship.
مَثَلُ الْجَلِيسِ الصَّالِحِ وَالْجَلِيسِ السَّوْءِ كَمَثَلِ صَاحِبِ الْمِسْكِ، وَكِيرِ الْحَدَّادِ، لاَ يَعْدَمُكَ مِنْ صَاحِبِ الْمِسْكِ إِمَّا تَشْتَرِيهِ، أَوْ تَجِدُ رِيحَهُ، وَكِيرُ الْحَدَّادِ يُحْرِقُ بَدَنَكَ أَوْ ثَوْبَكَ أَوْ تَجِدُ مِنْهُ رِيحًا خَبِيثَةً
“The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the musk seller and the blacksmith’s bellows. From the musk seller you will either buy musk or at least enjoy its good smell. The blacksmith’s bellows will either burn your body or your clothes, or you will get a bad smell from it.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 2101 · Narrated by Abu Musa · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
Muslim reports it too (Sahih Muslim 2628). You never leave a good friend empty-handed: at the very least, some of their goodness stays with you. A bad friend works the same way in reverse, even when you think you are only sitting nearby. HadeethEnc explains that a righteous companion benefits our faith and reputation, while a bad one can harm both.
Try this: think of the people you spend the most time with. After time with them, do you come away “smelling of musk”?
2. A man follows the religion of his friend
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this short warning.
الرَّجُلُ عَلَى دِينِ خَلِيلِهِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَحَدُكُمْ مَنْ يُخَالِلُ
“A man follows the religion of his close friend, so let each of you look at whom he takes as a close friend.”
Sunan Abi Dawud 4833 · Hasan (al-Albani) · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
At-Tirmidhi reports it as well (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 2378, Hasan (Darussalam)). The word here, khalil, means a very close friend. We slowly take on the habits and priorities of the people closest to us, so the hadith asks us to choose them with care. HadeethEnc gives a fuller explanation.
Try this: before a friendship becomes very close, ask yourself whether this person helps you remember Allah.
3. Keep company with a believer
Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated two short instructions.
لاَ تُصَاحِبْ إِلاَّ مُؤْمِنًا وَلاَ يَأْكُلْ طَعَامَكَ إِلاَّ تَقِيٌّ
“Do not keep company except with a believer, and let no one eat your food except a God-fearing person.”
Sunan Abi Dawud 4832 · Hasan (al-Albani) · Narrated by Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
At-Tirmidhi has the same hadith (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 2395, Sahih (Darussalam)). It is about the people we choose as close companions and regular guests. It is not a command to be harsh with anyone else, as the questions at the end explain.
Try this: invite a friend who prays to a meal this month and build the friendship around good things.
4. Souls are like assembled troops
Why do we feel at ease with some people almost at once? Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the answer.
الأَرْوَاحُ جُنُودٌ مُجَنَّدَةٌ فَمَا تَعَارَفَ مِنْهَا ائْتَلَفَ وَمَا تَنَاكَرَ مِنْهَا اخْتَلَفَ
“Souls are like assembled troops: those that knew each other become close, and those that did not know each other drift apart.”
Sahih Muslim 2638 · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
Al-Bukhari mentions it from ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) without a full chain (Sahih al-Bukhari 3336), so we quote the full chain in Muslim. The hadith tells us that friendship follows likeness: good people are drawn to good people.
Try this: notice who you are drawn to. If it is mostly people who pull you away from Allah, it may be time to look for better company.
5. Tell your friend that you love him
Al-Miqdam ibn Ma‘dikarib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this simple sunnah.
إِذَا أَحَبَّ الرَّجُلُ أَخَاهُ فَلْيُخْبِرْهُ أَنَّهُ يُحِبُّهُ
“When a man loves his brother, he should tell him that he loves him.”
Sunan Abi Dawud 5124 · Sahih (al-Albani) · Narrated by al-Miqdam ibn Ma‘dikarib · Translation from Sunnah.com
At-Tirmidhi reports it too (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 2392, Hasan (Darussalam)). Many of us feel it but never say it. A few honest words can make a friendship stronger for years.
Try this: send a short message today to one friend you love for Allah’s sake, and tell them so.
6. The man who visited his brother for Allah
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this story from the Prophet ﷺ.
أَنَّ رَجُلاً زَارَ أَخًا لَهُ فِي قَرْيَةٍ أُخْرَى فَأَرْصَدَ اللَّهُ لَهُ عَلَى مَدْرَجَتِهِ مَلَكًا فَلَمَّا أَتَى عَلَيْهِ قَالَ أَيْنَ تُرِيدُ قَالَ أُرِيدُ أَخًا لِي فِي هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ. قَالَ هَلْ لَكَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تَرُبُّهَا قَالَ لاَ غَيْرَ أَنِّي أَحْبَبْتُهُ فِي اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. قَالَ فَإِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَبَّكَ كَمَا أَحْبَبْتَهُ فِيهِ
“A man visited a brother of his in another town, and Allah placed an angel on his road to wait for him. When he came to him, the angel said: ‘Where are you going?’ He said: ‘To a brother of mine in this town.’ The angel said: ‘Has he done you a favor that you are going to repay?’ He said: ‘No, only that I love him for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.’ The angel said: ‘I am a messenger from Allah to you, to tell you that Allah loves you as you love him for His sake.’”
Sahih Muslim 2567 · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
The man wanted nothing from his friend. He visited only for Allah, and Allah loved him for it. Friendship like this is worship. On the Day of Judgement, those who loved each other for Allah’s sake will have a special place, as we explain in the hadith of the pulpits of light.
Try this: visit or call a friend this week for no reason except that you love them for Allah.
7. You will be with those you love
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this short hadith, which the Companions loved to hear.
الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ
“A person will be with those whom he loves.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 6168 · Narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
Muslim reports it with the question that led to it: a man asked about someone who loves a people but has not caught up with their deeds (Sahih Muslim 2640). The answer gives us hope, and a reason to love the Prophet ﷺ and righteous people.
Try this: make dua that Allah gathers you with the people you love for His sake.
Bringing it together: friends who last beyond this life
The Quran shows what happens to friendships on the Day of Judgement:
ٱلْأَخِلَّآءُ يَوْمَئِذٍۭ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
“Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except for the righteous.”
Surah az-Zukhruf 43:67 · Translation: Saheeh International, from Quran.com
Reflection: I find these hadith gentle and demanding at the same time. They do not ask us to have many friends, only the right ones, and to love them for the right reason. A friendship built on Allah is the one friendship that survives the Day when other friends turn into enemies.
Questions people ask
Who is a good friend in Islam?
From these hadith, a good friend is a believer who fears Allah, whose company leaves you better, like the musk seller, and who loves you for Allah’s sake, not for what you can give. The believer is also his brother’s mirror (Sunan Abi Dawud 4918, Hasan (al-Albani)): he shows you your faults kindly and in private.
What do the hadith say about bad friends?
The bad companion is like the blacksmith’s bellows: even sitting near him can burn you or leave a bad smell (Bukhari 2101). Since a man follows the religion of his close friend (Abu Dawud 4833), the hadith warn us to be careful about whom we take as close friends.
Can Muslims be friends with non-Muslims?
The hadith above are about the close friends whose religion we take on. They do not tell us to be unkind to anyone. The Quran says Allah does not forbid us from being kind and fair to those who do not fight us because of our religion (Surah al-Mumtahanah 60:8). Scholars discuss where kindness ends and close friendship begins, so for your own situation, ask a qualified local scholar.
Key lessons
- A good friend is like a musk seller: some of their goodness always stays with you (Bukhari 2101).
- A man follows the religion of his close friend, so choose close friends with care (Abu Dawud 4833).
- Keep close company with believers who fear Allah (Abu Dawud 4832).
- When you love someone for Allah, tell them (Abu Dawud 5124).
- A person will be with those he loves (Bukhari 6168).
Good friends are a gift from Allah. Look after the ones you have, and ask Him for more of them.
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