The conditions for friendship are...

The conditions for friendship are: أوّلها أنْ تكون سريرته وعلانيته لك واحدةٌ، والثانية أنْ يرى زينك زينه وشينك شينه، والثالثة أنْ لا يُغيّره مالٌ ولا ولايةٌ، والرابعة أنْ لا يمنعك شيئاً ممّا تصل إليه مقدرته، والخامسة أنْ لا يسلّمك عند النكبات ‘Firstly, a friend should not hide anything from you, and be the same person to you in private than he is in public; ‘Secondly, he should consider your beauty as his own, and your ugliness as his own; ‘Thirdly, Wealth and position should not change him; ‘Fourthly, He should not withhold from you what he has power over, and ‘Fifthly, He should not abandon you during times of hardship.’ [20] مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ خُنَيْسٍ وَ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ النَّخَّاسِ عَنْ مُفَضَّلِ بْنِ عُمَرَ وَ يُونُسَ بْنِ ظَبْيَانَ قَالَا قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع اخْتَبِرُوا إِخْوَانَكُمْ بِخَصْلَتَيْنِ فَإِنْ كَانَتَا فِيهِمْ وَ إِلَّا فَاعْزُبْ ثُمَّ اعْزُبْ ثُمَّ اعْزُبْ مُحَافَظَةٍ عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ فِي مَوَاقِيتِهَا وَ الْبِرِّ بِالْإِخْوَانِ فِي الْعُسْرِ وَ الْيُسْرِ Mohammed ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Mohammed from ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-Aziz from Mu’alla’ ibn Khunays and ‘Uthman ibn Sulayman al- Nakhkhas from Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar and Yunus ibn Zabyan who have said the following: Abu Abdullah -asws has said: ‘Try your brothers (friends) in two things – if not found (in them) then keep away from them, keep away, keep away from them.

The two qualities are the preservation of their prayers on time and kindness to their brethren in good and bad times.’ [21] The Reward for Loving the Followers of Ahl Al-Bayt -asws : عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ وَ حَفْصِ بْنِ الْبَخْتَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيُحِبُّكُمْ وَ مَا يَعْرِفُ مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ فَيُدْخِلُهُ اللَّهُ الْجَنَّةَ بِحُبِّكُمْ وَ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيُبْغِضُكُمْ وَ مَا يَعْرِفُ مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ فَيُدْخِلُهُ اللَّهُ بِبُغْضِكُمُ النَّارَ Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim and from Hafs ibn al-Bakhtari who narrates the following from Abu Abdullah -asws : ‘A person who loves you (being the followers of the -asws ) without knowing your belief Allah -azwj will Admit him to Paradise because he loves you.