Sadd E Zariya : But Where Does The Sin Start?
The act of starting prayer was from friend’s pressure but the prayer so offered was for Allah only and for the pleasure of Allah therefore I do not see any element of Riya here. Unless the person so praying is solely praying for his friend’s satisfaction then it can be Riya but it seems a very impractical situation for a conscious Muslim. Therefore as long as one is praying for Allah no matter the initial pressure, it is not Riya. I did not comment on the first example becaue it seems very impractical. In the second example, there lies a clear sin of drinking, the gathering itself and the peer pressure are genuine factors to be considered here and every scholar would advice that person to not go to that gathering on grounds of Sadd-e-Zariya.
The things of sadd e zarya are highly likely to lead one to sin, like sittig with a woman alone. To have normal relation like meeting people which may or may not lead one to a sin is not a kind of Sadd e zarya. To avoid such normal interactions lead to Rehbaniyyat.
@Irfan76 sir will a person knowing that if he marries then he exposes himself to such risks of falling into gheebat and saying hurtful things. if he still goes for marriage, will he be sinful?