Adab al-Ashra wa Dhikr al-Suhba wal-Ukhuwa
- Author died
- 984 AH
- Editions
- Maṭbūʿāt Majmaʿ al-Lughah al-ʿArabiyyah bi-Dimashq
Adab al-Ashra wa Dhikr al-Suhba wal-Ukhuwa ("The Etiquette of Social Intercourse and the Mention of Companionship and Brotherhood") is a treatise on Islamic social conduct, fraternity, and companionship authored by the Damascene Shafi'i jurist Badr al-Din al-Ghazzi (d. 984 AH / 1577 CE).
Scope and Themes
The work is devoted to delineating the principles and refined manners (adab) governing interpersonal relations, companionship (suhba), and spiritual brotherhood (ukhuwa) among believers. Al-Ghazzi opens the treatise by emphasizing that religious affinity and harmony are among God's blessings upon the faithful, citing foundational prophetic traditions on communal unity and fellowship, including the reports describing believers as a single body and as a firmly compacted structure. He also stresses the necessity of keeping company with people of religious commitment, integrity, and adherence to the Sunnah, while warning against associating with adherents of religious innovation and capricious desires.
Throughout the text, al-Ghazzi details specific practical and ethical duties incumbent upon companions, such as:
- Cultivating good character (husn al-khuluq) in emulation of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
- Interpreting the apparent shortcomings of friends charitably and seeking excuses for their mistakes.
- Prioritizing companions over oneself in honor and dignity (ithar al-ikhwan bil-karamah), quoting the early ascetic Abu Uthman on the folly of arrogance toward friends.
- Associating exclusively with individuals whose trustworthiness and religious practice are sound both outwardly and inwardly.
Publication History
The treatise has appeared in several modern printings across the Arab world:
- An edition published by the Arab Scientific Academy in Damascus in 1967, followed by another Damascus printing in 1968.
- An edition published in Beirut in 1407 AH / 1987 CE.
- A Cairo edition published in 1408 AH / 1988 CE, as well as an undated Cairo edition edited by Abd al-Ghaffar Sulayman and published by Maktabat al-Turath al-Islami.
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