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Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’Ala) said:
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The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alehe Wassalam) said:
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‘Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hambal (Rahimullah) said:
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Ibn al-Qayyim (Rahimullah) said:
So, save your heart, be wary of how you spend your days and nights, and do not let the Sun set before you arrive at your destination.
[‘al-Wabil as-Sayyib’; p. 45]
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Ibn Jama’ah (Rahimullah) said:
The harms of socialization include the passing of life without any benefit, as well as the decline of wealth and religious practice, if this socialization were to occur with the wrong people.
The student of knowledge should not mix except with either those who he can benefit, or can benefit from. And if he is offered the friendship of one who will waste his time with him, will not benefit him, will not benefit from him, and will not assist him in reaching his objective, he should politely end the relationship from the start before it progresses to something deeper, as when something becomes established, it becomes more difficult to change it. There is a phrase that is constantly on the tongues of the Fuqaha’: ‘Repelling something is easier than removing it.
So, if he requires someone to befriend, let that person be righteous, religious, pious, wary, intelligent, full of benefit, having little evil, good at complying, rarely conflicting, reminding him if he forgets, cooperating with him when he is reminded, helpful if he is in need, and comforting if he is in distress.
[‘Tadhkirat as-Sami’ wal-Mutakallim’; p. 83]
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Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (Rahimullah) said:
- He must be intelligent, as there is no good in befriending an idiot, as he will only harm you when he wants to benefit you. By intelligent, we mean one who understands things as they are, either on his own, or if they are explained to him;
- He must have good manners, and this is a must. One who is simply intelligent might be overcome by anger or desire, and obey his desire. Thus, there would be no benefit in befriending him;
- He must not be a fasiq (involved in major and minor sins), as such a person would not fear Allah, and whoever does not fear Allah cannot be trusted;
- He must not be an innovator (Involved in Bidaah) , as his abundance of innovation is feared from befriending him;
- He should not be eager for the dunya.
[‘Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin’; p. 126-132]