Islam Guidance

Friendship during Travel

Friendship during Travel:
Travel has special manners which are different from those ones during the normal life. From the first look, you may know it is anbract of
generosity, the noble self, and manhood to spend much money on the food in the manner that surpasses your friends. However, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, prevented (Muslims from doing that) during travel, for such kind of spending costs the friend a lot when he wants to vie in spending with his other friends or it may humiliate him when he prevents himself from doing that. It is not an act of politeness or good friendship to cost your friend or humiliate him. For this reason, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said to Shahâb b. ‘Abd Raba’[1] :“ Shahab, do not do that, for if they spend and you spend (more than them), then you wrong them or hUmiliate them when they prevent from (spending). So, accompany your matches, accompany your matches.”
The Imam said these words when Shahâb said to him:” You have known my condition, my open- hand, and my generosity toward my brothers. I accompany the person of them to cover the road to Mecca and I become generous toward him.”[2]
I (the author) say: The person humiliates others when he spends on them. In the meantime, others humiliate him when they spend on him. So, the Imam prevented (Muslims) from adopting both cases. He said to Abü Basir:” I do not want (the person) to humiliate himself, so he should accompany those who match him.”
The Imam said these words when Abü BasTr asked about the person who accompanies the rich, while he is inferior to them (in spending). So, the men take out the expense, while he is not able to take out what they do.”
When Hisham b. al- Hakam asked the Imam about some cases, the Imam answered:” Accompany those who are like you.”[3]
Accordingly, the Imam regard the companionship of the match as a rule for both causes, test the person should humiliate himself or humiliate the others. This is among his great wisdoms which he adopted to make people follow good manners.
Notes: _______________________________________
1   al- Kafi. He was among the companions of al- S&liq, peace be on him, He was among the reliable narrators. The reliable narrators reported traditions on his authority.
2   Wasa’il al- Shi’a, 8/302/1.
3   Ibid, 8/303/5.
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Taken From : Imam Al-Sadiq By Shaykh Mohammed al-Husayn al-Muzaffar , Translator : Jasim al-Rasheed

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