Real friendship among brothers and sisters on the Sufi path includes the following eight responsibilities:
- Material aid. Help your companions with food, or money, or other things they need for their own survival or development.
- Personal support. If they are sick, visit them; if they are busy, help them, if they have forgotten, remind them.
- Respect. Do not complain of their faults to them or to others. Do not give advice when you know it can not be acted upon.
- Praise and attention. Praise the good qualities of your companions, and let them know that you care for them.
- Forgiveness. Forgive your companions for their failings.
- Prayer. Pray for the well-being of your companions with the same fervor you pray for your own well-being.
- Loyalty. Be firm in your friendships so that you can be depended on by those who put their trust in you.
- Relief from discomfort. Do not create awkward or difficult situations that involve your companions. Do not be a burden to others.
stanford encyclopedia of philosophy