Dear brother, this is a new lesson of The Righteousness of Al-Ummah Lies in the Lofty Aspiration.

Befriending believers motivates the lofty aspiration:

 It seems that one of the major causes of having a lofty aspiration is to be with the believers, and to be surrounded with an Islamic environment, for Allah says:

((O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds).))

[At-Taubah, 119]

 Be with them, prefer meeting them to any other meeting, favor their friendship over the friendship of the people of the worldly life and prefer working with them to working with other groups, because unity is power and disunity is torment. The following Ayah is a basic reference:

((O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds).))

[At-Taubah, 119]

 As if this Ayah indicates the following: you will not be able to be afraid of Allah unless you are with those who are true. This point is supported by the following Ayah:

((And keep yourself (O Muhammad PBUH) patiently with those who call on their Lord (i.e. your companions who remember their Lord with glorification, praising in prayers, etc., and other righteous deeds, etc.) morning and afternoon, seeking His Face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.))

[Al-Kahf, 28]

Stay with the believers while performing your activities:

 Dear brother, those who sought the path to Allah from the past ages followed this advice: stay with the believers

(Do not befriend but a believer, nor should other than a Taqi (pious person) eat your food.)

[Abu Dawood and Tirmizi, by Abi Sa'eed]

 Nowadays, you can see how trials are blazing, streets are full of sins and acts of disobedience and most of the meetings are mixed. Whatever you go and wherever you look at, you see sins and acts of disobedience are committed publicly. Thus, we should protect ourselves in this hard time and be with each other even when we go for picnics to guarantee discipline; no dirty jokes will be told, or something which displeases Allah will be done. Man is strongly influenced by his surrounding, Allah says:

((So stand (ask Allah to make) you (Muhammad PBUH) firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism) as you are commanded and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto Allah) with you.))

[Hud, 112]

 In Another Ayah Allah the Almighty says:

((And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers.))

[An-Nur, 31]

The fruits of Islam are reaped when it is applied collectively:

 A disciplined believing society is built when you all turn unto Allah in repentance. Consider this simple example: when you go to offer Umrah and stay for many days or even two weeks or so in Makkah and Madinah, you will be at ease, and you will live a state of tranquility and purity, because you will not see women without Hijab there. Accordingly, what is the meaning of the following Ayah?

((And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all))

[An-Nur, 31]

 It means that you cannot reap the fruits of this great religion unless it is applied collectively (by all believers). What is going on now is that most people do not apply Islam, and so the believer is estranged:

(Islam began strange and it will return strange as it began, so good news is for the strangers.)

[Muslim, by Abu Hurairah]

Uprightness is unchangeable, whereas righteousness is relative:

 The second precise point is that when Allah the Almighty says:

((So stand (ask Allah to make) you (Muhammad PBUH) firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism) as you are commanded and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto Allah) with you))

[Hud, 112]

 This means that uprightness is unchangeable; there should be no varieties between the uprightness of the believers and the one of the Prophets, peace be upon them. Unlike uprightness, righteousness is relative; it differs from one person to another. For instance, some people give a certain amount of money as Sadaqah, while sh3er give a huge one. Also, some people dedicate their time to serving sh3er, while people may dedicate something else, etc. Righteousness is variable whereas uprightness is not.

(Verily Allah has commanded the believers to do that which He has commanded the Messengers.)

[Muslim, by Abu Hurairah]

 In times when people are morally deviated, trials prevail, misguidance spreads and religious matters are discussed by those who are not qualified, the need to be with your fellow believers is desperate. Faith embraces uprightness, honesty, chastity and trust and these are the least a believer is expected to have. Thus,

((So stand (ask Allah to make) you (Muhammad PBUH) firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism)))

[Hud, 112]

 The Prophet, peace be upon him, is addressed by those words, but you should keep in mind that when you say to the hardworking person: work hard, it means go on working hard:

((So stand (ask Allah to make) you (Muhammad PBUH) firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism) as you are commanded and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto Allah) with you))

[Hud, 112]

(Verily Allah has commanded the believers to do that which He has commanded the Messengers.)

[Muslim, by Abu Hurairah]

 Consider the example of giving someone an injection. Whether it is given by a nurse or a surgeon, both need to follow certain steps in giving it, starting with sterilizing the siring, cleaning the area where the shot will be injected and ending with putting a piece of cotton to stop the bleeding. The same goes for uprightness; it is specific, so it accepts no varieties unlike good deeds.

 I always say that man can be exalted by whatever good deed he offers, but if he commits a mistake which may negatively affect his uprightness, he will be veiled from Allah the Almighty, Allah says in this respect:

((So stand (ask Allah to make) you (Muhammad PBHU) firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism) as you are commanded and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto Allah) with you, and transgress not (Allah's legal limits)* Verily, He is All-Seer of what you do. And incline not toward those who do wrong))

[Hud, 112-113]

Some effects of befriending the heedless:

 The heedless person is far and disconnected from Allah. There is darkness inside his heart, his ownself is burning with forbidden lusts and worldly ambitions and he forgets about the Hereafter. The question is: what are the bad consequences of befriending such a person?

 - He makes you seek the worldly life and hate the Hereafter.
 - He beautifies the sin to you.
 - He makes heedlessness something wonderful to you
 - He tempts you by making fulfilling lusts something exciting.
 As you know man is created weak, Allah says:

((And man was created weak (cannot be patient to leave sexual intercourse with woman).))

[An-Nisa', 28]

 Hence, it is one of Allah's graces to go to the Masjid regularly, and to have believer brother:

(( And incline not toward those who do wrong))

[Hud, 113]

 Some scholars said, "The Awliya (pious people) of my Ummah are those who inspire sh3er to remember Allah the Exalted when they are seen."

Meeting the believers brings comfort and tranquility:

 When you meet, befriend and love your believer brother who is upright and connected with Allah, and who has tranquility, comfort and balance within his heart, some of those noble traits will pass to you and subconsciously you will say, "I felt like being in paradise when I visited him", what kind of Paradise is this? Since his house is humble (it is not that furnished), and he might not have anything to serve you, not even tea, what kind of Paradise you are talking about? It is tranquility that was bestowed upon you by Allah, because this believer is connected with Him. Your love for him grants you some of what he has, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

(Do not befriend but a believer, nor should other than a Taqi (pious person) eat your food.)

[Abu Dawood and Tirmizi, by Abi Sa'eed]

 Do not befriend but he whose state will exalt you to a better status (with Allah), and whose words will guide you to Allah. Let me repeat it again: the more trials, dissoluteness and licentiousness prevail in the society, the more desperate our need (as believers) to stay to one another is.

 One of our esteemed brother told me that he missed the religious session once and couldn't make it until after Isha'a prayer, and he swore to me that his spirit becomes comfortable for mere seeing and meeting with his believer brother even though that meeting was short. I may say that the spirit of the believer radiates, and whoever befriends him will be affected in one way or another by that spiritual radiation. The tranquility which marks the believers is the result of being connected with Allah; their spirits are pure, and they don't have bitter feelings against sh3er, they don't feel malice toward people, they don't lie to sh3er, they don't betray sh3er or they don't deviate (from the right path).
 Dear brother, you are a winner if your co-workers in the job you do to make a living are believers even if the income is little. When you are surrounded with bad environment, you might reject that at first, but after a while you will get used to it, and later on you will love it until gradually you will be deviated from the right path. Therefore, befriend only believers. The following Ayah is very precise:

((O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds).))

[At-Taubah, 119]

((And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should touch you, and you have no protectors other than Allah))

[Hud, 113]

 A brother told me about a woman who travelled with her husband to a western country. She was so keen on sticking to the religious submission, the Islamic teachings, the fear from Allah and the proper performance of prayers in the first month she spent there. However, after the first month, she started to like the western life style, and a year later she became somewhat religiously deviated. The religious environment has a crucial effect, therefore I ask you to look after your children. The question which bsh3er every father is: whom does your son befriend?

A Divine warning: Don't incline towards those who wrong sh3er:

 By Allah, I was told many stories which break the heart. One of which was about an upright young believer who used to be a Quran Hafez (memorize it by heart), but after befriending a corrupted deviated person, he became full of doubts about the basics of Islam to such an extent that he abandoned Salah and Sawm. Hence, the religious environment is very serious, and the following Ayah supports that:

((And incline not toward those who do wrong))

[Hud, 113]

 Some people have prestigious houses, but they prefer to meet their friends in the five star hotels, where there are women who expose their bodies. Such environment gets you away from Allah the Exalted, so be keen on befriending believers, working with them and meeting them, for this meeting will recharge you spiritually. It is recommended that you befriend the person whose religious knowledge is better than yours, whose religious state will uplift you to better status and whose words will guide you to Allah:

((And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should touch you, and you have no protectors other than Allah))

[Hud, 113]

The fire of being distanced from Allah:
 It is the fire of being far from Allah. Actually, there is a worldly Paradise, which you live in as long as you are close to Allah, and there is a worldly Hellfire, which you are fallen into as long as you are distanced from Allah. The most severe punishment you receive from Allah is to be veiled from Him:

((Nay! Surely, they (evil-doers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day.))

[Al-Mutaffifin, 15]

Quran urges believers to meet one another:

 When you reauthor, the Noble Quran, you will notice that there are a lots of Ayaht which urge you to be with the believers:

((then seek refuge in the Cave))

[Al-Kahf, 16]

 Nowadays, your cave is your house and the Masjid you go to:

((then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His Mercy and will make easy for you your affair (i.e. will give you what you will need of provision, dwelling, etc.)."))

[Al-Kahf, 16]

Adjusting matters of difference among you is indispensable:

 Dear brother, you should be keen on befriending your fellow believer, and you should be keen on keeping your relation with him sound, so you should know your limits while dealing with him, you should make excuses for him (before accusing him of anything), you should do him a favor, and you should check on him and see if he needs your help. All of these things strengthen the relation between you two. The relation between believers is sometimes very strong, which is good, but in some cases the relation is weak and its parties are far from each other, or they sometimes criticize one another. Allah says:

((So fear Allah and adjust all matters of difference among you))

[Al-Anfal, 1]

Adjusting matters of difference has three levels:

 The previous Ayah is interpreted in three levels: the first one is adjusting matters of difference among you, the second level is reconciling with Allah and the third level is adjusting matters of difference between you and all creations. I hope that Adjusting matters of difference among believers, going to the Masjid regularly and staying with the other believers uplift us all.

 There is a big difference between the friend who is a believer and the one who is not. You will notice such a difference if you travel with a disbeliever. You will find him selfish, he prefers relaxing to helping sh3er and he may tell you dirty jokes, but if you travel with a believer, you will find him upright, chaste and sincere.

((And incline not toward those who do wrong))

[Hud, 113]

 The wrongdoer is far and veiled from the Almighty Allah, and his heart is full of darkness. Sometimes when you get in a luxurious house, you become uncomfortable, due to the darkness within its owner, whereas you feel at ease when you get in a humble house, because its owner is connected with Allah. Hence, look for the one whose words and deeds help you become exalted in Allah's Sight. The following Ayat prove this point. Weak faith is always cured by being surrounded with believers, Islamic environment, Quran, people with good conducts and people with Islamic knowledge.

 There are morally deviated societies, so the truth you should be aware of is that the path through which you establish a connection with Allah, and you rejoice is mentioned in the following Ayah:

((And perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night [i.e. the five compulsory Salat (prayers)]. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small sins). That is a reminder (an advice) for the mindful (those who accept advice).))

[Hud, 114]

The means to have Muslims united:

1- Salah (prayers):

 Again, Salah is the skeleton of the religion, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to offer Salah whenever he was distressed. Salah is one of the means of making Muslims united; by performing Salah, you establish a connection with Allah, so does your brother. Since you have many common denominators which occupy a huge place in your relation, the affection between you is does exist. The following Hadith of the Prophet, peace be upon him, supports this point:

(Nothing separates two brother who love one another for the sake of Allah the Almighty but a sin committed by one of them.)

[Ahmad, by Ibn Umar]

2- Uprightness:

 Because of your uprightness you will love your brother, and because of his he will love you, Allah says:

((So stand (ask Allah to make) you (Muhammad PBUH) firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism) as you are commanded and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto Allah) with you, and transgress not (Allah's legal limits).))

[Hud, 112]

 Transgression is exceeding the limits:

((Verily, He is All-Seer of what you do *And incline not toward those who do wrong,))

[Hud, 112-113]

 Stay with other believers and don't incline to those who do wrong:

((and when they speak, you listen to their words.))

[Al-Munafiqun, 4]

 Their houses, elegance and taste might catch your attention, but keep in mind that they are heedless and far from Allah the Almighty.

Lofty aspiration requires social support:

 Lofty aspiration requires social support. The more you spend your time with another believer the more you both will be inspired by Allah, hence:

(Unity is a mercy, Disunity is a punishment)

[Ahmad, by Al Nu'man Ibn Basheer]

(It is incumbent upon you to be with the Muslim group and you must avoid disunity. The Satan is with a single person and it is far from two persons.)

[Tirmizi and Ahmad, by Ibn Umar]

(Verily Satan is the wolf of a man just as the wolf is (the enemy) of a flock. He seizes the solitary sheep going astray from the flock or going aside from the flock.)

[Al Hakem, by Abi Ad-Darda'a]

 Try to travel with a believer, and you will see how you protect one another. Traveling with a believer pleases you, because when he favors you over himself, you do the same, and when he helps you, you do the same too. Your first concern should be living in a religious environment, so it is great to make it possible to work with the believers and to spend your spare time with them.

A Divine method:

 The following Ayah is a Divine method:

((So stand (ask Allah to make) you (Muhammad PBUH) firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism) as you are commanded and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto Allah) with you))

[Hud, 112]

 It means that you should stay with the believers:

((And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should touch you))

[Hud, 113]

 What fire is this? It is the fire of being far from Allah. Hence, the worldly Paradise is the one you live in when you get closer to Allah, and the worldly Hellfire is the one you are thrown in when you get away from Allah.