Fruits of friendship

Bismillah.

O son, you must repent from keeping a bad company. If you wish to know who you are, look at your friends. Are they God-fearing, seeking food for the soul and useful knowledge OR are they busy feeding their stomach and ego excessively? Repent from associating with people who drag you into useless affairs.

Listen to this advice from Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani: "Keep your distance from evil companions. Put an end to the friendship between you and them, and establish a connection between you and righteous folk (as-salihun) Avoid near neighbors if he happens to be one of those bad companions, and get in touch with someone far away if he happens to be one of those who make good friends. Whenever you relate to someone on affectionate terms, a form of kinship will develop between the pair of you, so take a good look at anyone you befriend. When a certain wise man was asked the meaning of kinship (qaraba) he said: Loving friendship (mawadda)."

Be strong, know when to say no and withdraw from bad association. It does not matter if he is popular or has thousands of followers. It does not matter if he could impress people with his religious philosophies; if he influenced you to do satanic acts or deeds that are against the Qur'an and sunnah, then he is as good as Satan, period! So beware of the jinn and shayatin wearing the mask of men.

Pray: 'Robbi habli hukman, wa alhiqni bis solehin' - 'O Lord, give me wisdom and enjoin me with the righteous.' And when you put a stop and repent from being close to evil companions, stick to your repentance because our father al-Jilani has said 'the important thing is not your mere repentance but you sticking to it. The important thing is not that you plant a seed, but that it should take root, put out branches and yield fruit.'

May Allah protect you from evil men and decorate your life with genuine friends who love one another for the sake of Allah.

Whoever is sitting with friends
is in the midst of a flower garden,

though he may be in the fire.

Whoever sits with an enemy is in the fire,

even though he is in the midst of a garden.

- Jalaluddin Rumi