Friendship (its meaning, the law's encouragement of it, eating at a friend's house, and a friend's testimony for a friend)

In language friendship (sadaqa) comes from truth in affection and in counsel; one says he was a friend to him. As a term it is the agreement of two hearts on affection: when each of two men conceals love for the other, and his inner feeling matches his outward show, they are called friends. ¹ Close terms are distinguished: companionship (suhba) is in language long association, and fellowship (rifqa) is companionship on a journey in particular. ¹

The law encourages friendship among Muslims and usually names it brotherhood in God. Jurists cite the Qur'an, al-Nur (24:61), on eating from houses, and a saying that a man is much with his brother; the latter is weak, since one of its narrators is accused of fabrication. ¹

The Shafi'is state that a friend may eat in his friend's house and garden and similar places in his absence, when it is known that he would not object. al-Zamakhshari relates an anecdote about al-Hasan al-Basri in this connection. ¹ al-Mawardi gives two views on whether this is allowed: one, that a friend may eat from his friend's house at a wedding feast without an invitation, and no other time; the other, that he may eat at a feast or at other times when the food is present and not locked away. Scholars differ on whether the ruling was abrogated: Qatada held it stands unabrogated; others held it abrogated by the Qur'an, al-Nur (24:27), and by the saying that a Muslim's property is lawful only with his free consent, a report with an unknown narrator in its chain, supported by witnesses that Ibn Hajar cites. Where the circumstances clearly show the owner's consent, that stands in place of explicit permission. ²

Most scholars accept a friend's testimony for his friend. The Hanafis and Malikis require that the friendship not be so close that each disposes of the other's property, and that the witness be known for uprightness; the Malikis add that he must not be one of the friend's household, eating and living with them as a member. ²