Al-Ma'idah 55: Your close friends are; Allah, Allah’s Messenger and those who believe; they obey the orders of Allah, establish the prayer and pay obligatory alm (zakah).

Verse 55. Your friend, your protector is only Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe. Those who, submitting to Allah's commands, perform the prayer and give the zakat. As we explained in the lesson before, they are friends of one another, says Allah Almighty. And what did we say? They are not our friends, but if we make concessions to them, they take us in among them. So as long as we live Islam, neither are they our friends nor are we their friends. Allah forbid — whoever envies them is like them, as He says; in (?) verses too: whoever envies them is like them. Later, says Allah Almighty, if He gives them — that is, the Muslim — a victory and from His hand sends a command, sends a command from Himself, then, it says, their later regret is of no use either.

So our friend, our protector, is only Allah. Because our Owner who created us is caring and merciful toward His creations throughout the universe. But whoever knows Allah as Allah — one in His essence, without wife and children, the absolute power and Owner of the universe — knows Him so and leans his back on Him, Allah too becomes his friend. And His Messenger. Our friend. Our Prophet. He is alive. What does it say? He (?) his community, says Allah Almighty. And those who believe. Look, pay attention. When believers see each other, when Allah's Word is spoken, never mind their faces smiling — their eyes smile, their eyes.

You can feel how they send you love from the heart. They love like that, from the heart. So, look at the friend, how beautiful. He doesn't know me, nor do I know him. But where does our love and affection for each other come from? It comes from our loving Allah. A bond of love appears between us. Because of the love of Allah Almighty, in our hearts intimacy and love — as a flower's (?) open, sir, as that flower opens, roses open in our hearts. The friend and protector of Islam is only Allah. So — what an excellent Master, what an excellent Guardian, what an excellent (?), they say. Because Islam is honoured with the seal of faith, so that one may have the good morals and character that are the honour of humanity, they overcome the bad traits in their nafs and become servants as Allah wishes.

People who earn Allah's nearness become Allah's friends. Yes.

If we were to cite a verse for this: How beautiful Allah is, and how beautiful, those who say, and how beautiful a companion. Just as Allah loves those who love Him like this, He also loves His prophets. And those who love Allah and the prophets love one another. And these become friends of one another for Allah's sake. This is true friendship. Not regarding someone as a friend for one's gain in worldly life. And as long as he profits from him, like a bond of love, as if showing love — the person who deceives the one opposite him, who (?) on him through his wealth and seems to love him because of his gain, who seems to be his friend — tomorrow, when they see a weak spot in the person they profited from, they kick him.

So our forefathers put it well indeed. Don't lean on a tree, they say. It falls. Don't lean on a person, they say. He dies. Then on whom shall we lean? Hasbünallahu ve ni'me'l-vekil. Ni'me'l-mevla ve ni'me'n-nasir. On Allah. There is no friend, no companion, no support like Allah.

Nobody — seeking gain in nobody — people who love each other for Allah's sake, just as they are friends of one another, Allah too is their friend and helper, and at the same time (?). People who love Allah, submitting to Allah's command, perform the prayer and give the zakat. They oppose nothing that is Allah's command. They do not exchange Allah's Word for the world.