'Umar bin al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) said:"If one of youis blessed with
affection from his brother, he should hold onto that as tightly as
possible, as it is quite rare for one to be blessed with this."
2 - 'Umar (رضي الله عنه) alsosaid:"Nobody is given anything, besides
his Islaam, better than a righteous friend."
3 - 'Ali bin Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) said:"Tend to yourbrothers, as
they are your sustenance in this world and the next. Do you not hear
the saying of the people of Hell: {"Now, we have neither intercessors
nor close friends to help us!"} [ash-Shu'ara'; 100-1]?"
4 - 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (رضي الله عنه) said:"By Allaah, if I fasted
all day without eating, prayed all night without sleeping, spent all
of my wealth in the Path of Allaah (سبحانه وتعالى), died the day I
died,but, had no love in my heart for those who obey Allaah, and no
hatred in my heart for those who disobey Allaah (سبحانه وتعالى), none
of this would benefit me in the least."
5 - 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه) said:"If a manwere to stand
for seventy years, worshipping Allaah between the Yemeni Corner and
the Maqam of Ibrahim (at the Ka'bah), hewould still be resurrected on
the Day of Judgement with those whom he loved."
6 - Ibn as-Sammak (رحمه الله) said, on his deathbed:"O Allaah! You
Know that, even if I had disobeyed You, I loved those who obeyed You!
So, make this for me a means of nearness to You!"
7 - Mujahid (رحمه الله) said:"Those who love eachother for Allaah's
Sake, when they smile at each other, their sins fall from each other,
just as the leaves fall from a tree before the winter."
8 - al-Ghazali (رحمه الله) said, commenting on the hadith "The
strongest bond of faith is to love for Allaah and to hate for
Allaah":"Because of this, it is a must that a person have enemies that
he hates for Allaah's Sake, justas he has friends and brothers that he
loves for Allaah's Sake."
9 - Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) said:"The slave will be brought
between the Hands of Allaah - the Exalted - on the Day of
Resurrection, and Allaah (سبحانه وتعالى) will Say to him: 'Did you
love one of my awliya', so that I can join you with him?'"
10 - al-Hasan al-Basri (رحمه الله) said:"Being harsh against a fasiq
brings you closer to Allaah - the Exalted."From 'Ihya' 'Ulum ad-Din'
(2/195 onwards) Iqtida' by Imaam al-Ghazali (رحمه الله)/