The Virtue of the Month for the month of November is FRIENDSHIP. The Qur'an states:
"And the believers, men and women, are protecting friends of one another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and they establish worship and they pay the poor-due, and they obey Allah and His messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them." [9:71]
From this, we learn that in Islam, a true friend is one who will protect his Muslim brother, remind him of Allah and the Hereafter, encourage him to do good, and correct him if he does something wrong.
Hadrat 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (R) once said: "A friend cannot be considered a friend until he is tested on 3 occasions:
1. in time of need
2. behind your back
3. after your death"
Muslims should always be there for one another in times of difficulty. We can offer to help someone with their homework, visit them when they are sick, console them when they are sad, and much more. We should never speak poorly of our friends or any other Muslim. The Prophet (S) said "A Muslim is the one from whose hands and tongue other Muslims are safe." [Tirmidhi] We should never harm our brothers/sisters in any way, especially with hurtful words. We should also remind each other of Allah's commands and help each other attain Jannah. A best friend is one who will correct you.
Remember, a good Muslim will always act as a good human being. Always treat others the way you would like to be treated, as the Prophet (S) once said: "None of you is a true believer until you want for your brother that which you want for yourself."
*Parents, please promote the concept of friendship/loyalty at home, as we will also be doing so at school insha'Allah*