whether through acts of sexual immorality or satanic love, such as love for beardless youths and the like—even if they present it otherwise, as a partnership in trades or similar pursuits—or through cooperation in wronging others and consuming people’s wealth unjustly. This resembles the bonds that some who claim to be spiritual masters and followers of the spiritual path establish with women: one of them forms such a bond with a woman unrelated to him and spends time alone with her. Groups among them have admitted to the acts of sexual immorality that occur between them.

Such bonds, and any similar arrangements involving cooperation in anything Allah has forbidden, whatever it may be, are prohibited by Muslim consensus. The disagreement concerns only a bond intended to foster cooperation in righteousness and piety, such that obedience to Allah unites the two parties and disobedience to Allah separates them. As they say: “The Sunnah unites us, and innovation divides us.” It is this form that is disputed.

Most scholars do not endorse it, regarding the brotherhood of faith established by Allah and His Messenger as sufficient, for that brotherhood suffices and secures every good. One should therefore strive to fulfil its obligations properly, since Allah has given believers rights over one another that exceed what people themselves seek. Other scholars have permitted such a bond in a lawful form, provided it contains nothing contrary to Islamic law.

But if it is declared to entail sharing in good deeds and sins, so that whichever of the two enters Paradise will bring his companion into it, or other such conditions that they may impose upon one another, these conditions and others like them are invalid and cannot be fulfilled, for intercession cannot take place