Those Whose Association and Friendship Is Undesirable

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْمَرْءِ الْمُسْلِمِ أَنْ يُوَاخِيَ الْفَاجِرَ فَإِنَّهُ يُزَيِّنُ لَهُ فِعْلَهُ وَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِثْلَهُ وَ لَا يُعِينُهُ عَلَى أَمْرِ دُنْيَاهُ وَ لَا أَمْرِ مَعَادِهِ وَ مَدْخَلُهُ إِلَيْهِ وَ مَخْرَجُهُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ شَيْنٌ عَلَيْهِ.

“It is not proper for a Muslim man to become a friend of an indecent person; he tries to make his deeds seem attractive to him and loves that one to behave like him (indecent). He does not assist him in his religious matters or the matters of the hereafter. The coming and going of an indecent person is a disgrace to on

لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْمَرْءِ الْمُسْلِمِ أَنْ يُوَاخِيَ الْفَاجِرَ وَ لَا الْأَحْمَقَ وَ لَا الْكَذَّابَ.

“It is not proper for a Muslim man to become friends with an indecent, an idiot and a liar.”

قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ع إِنَّ صَاحِبَ الشَّرِّ يُعْدِي‌[3] وَ قَرِينَ السَّوْءِ يُرْدِي فَانْظُرْ مَنْ تُقَارِنُ.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Asbat from certain individuals of his people from Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) who has said the following: “Jesus, son of Mary has said, ‘An evil companion commits injustice and an evil friend brings destruction. Consider who to become friends with.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ يَا عَمَّارُ إِنْ كُنْتَ تُحِبُّ أَنْ تَسْتَتِبَ‌[4] لَكَ النِّعْمَةُ وَ تَكْمُلَ لَكَ الْمُرُوءَةُ وَ تَصْلُحَ لَكَ الْمَعِيشَةُ فَلَا تُشَارِكِ الْعَبِيدَ وَ السَّفِلَةَ فِي أَمْرِكَ- فَإِنَّكَ إِنِ ائْتَمَنْتَهُمْ خَانُوكَ وَ إِنْ حَدَّثُوكَ كَذَبُوكَ وَ إِنْ نُكِبْتَ خَذَلُوكَ وَ إِنْ وَعَدُوكَ أَخْلَفُوكَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) once said to me, ‘O ‘Ammar, if you like bounties bring you delight, kindness becomes complete, and the affairs of life well- organized you then should not associate with the slaves and the lowly persons. If you trust them, they betray you, if they speak, they lie to you. If you may suffer a misfo

حُبُّ الْأَبْرَارِ لِلْأَبْرَارِ ثَوَابٌ لِلْأَبْرَارِ وَ حُبُّ الْفُجَّارِ لِلْأَبْرَارِ فَضِيلَةٌ لِلْأَبْرَارِ وَ بُغْضُ الْفُجَّارِ لِلْأَبْرَارِ زَيْنٌ لِلْأَبْرَارِ وَ بُغْضُ الْأَبْرَارِ لِلْفُجَّارِ خِزْيٌ عَلَى الْفُجَّارِ.

“The virtuous ones’ love of other virtuous ones is a rewarding deed for them. Indecent ones loving the virtuous ones is a credit for the virtuous ones. Indecent ones’ hating the virtuous ones beautifies the virtuous ones. Virtuous one’s hating the indecent ones is a loss to the indecent ones.”

قَالَ لِي أَبِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمَا يَا بُنَيَّ انْظُرْ خَمْسَةً فَلَا تُصَاحِبْهُمْ وَ لَا تُحَادِثْهُمْ وَ لَا تُرَافِقْهُمْ فِي طَرِيقٍ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَتِ مَنْ هُمْ عَرِّفْنِيهِمْ قَالَ إِيَّاكَ وَ مُصَاحَبَةَ الْكَذَّابِ فَإِنَّهُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ السَّرَابِ يُقَرِّبُ لَكَ الْبَعِيدَ وَ يُبَعِّدُ لَكَ الْقَرِيبَ وَ إِيَّاكَ وَ مُصَاحَبَةَ الْفَاسِقِ فَإِنَّهُ بَائِعُكَ بِأُكْلَةٍ أ

“My father, Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) once said to me, ‘My son, look for five kinds of people. Do not befriend them, speak to or accompany them on a road.’ 1 then asked, ‘O father, who are they? Define them for me.’ He said, ‘Never befriend a liar; he is like a mirage. He shows what is far very near and what is near, in

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ ثَلَاثَةٌ مُجَالَسَتُهُمْ تُمِيتُ الْقَلْبَ الْجُلُوسُ مَعَ الْأَنْذَالِ‌[4] وَ الْحَدِيثُ مَعَ النِّسَاءِ وَ الْجُلُوسُ مَعَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ.

‘The Messenger of Allah has said, “Association with three kinds of people deadens the heart (reason): association with the lowly, speaking to women and sitting with the wealthy.”’”

قَالَ لُقْمَانُ ع لِابْنِهِ‌ يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تَقْتَرِبْ فَتَكُونَ أَبْعَدَ لَكَ وَ لَا تَبْعُدْ فَتُهَانَ‌[2] كُلُّ دَابَّةٍ تُحِبُّ مِثْلَهَا وَ إِنَّ ابْنَ آدَمَ يُحِبُّ مِثْلَهُ وَ لَا تَنْشُرْ بَزَّكَ إِلَّا عِنْدَ بَاغِيهِ‌[3] كَمَا لَيْسَ بَيْنَ الذِّئْبِ وَ الْكَبْشِ خُلَّةٌ كَذَلِكَ لَيْسَ بَيْنَ الْبَارِّ وَ الْفَاجِرِ خُلَّةٌ مَنْ يَقْتَرِبْ مِنَ الزِّفْتِ‌[4] يَعْلَقْ بِهِ بَعْضُهُ كَذَلِكَ مَنْ يُشَارِكِ

“Luqman (mentioned in Chapter 3 1 of the Holy Quran), peace be upon him, said to his son, ‘Do not become very close (to people), lest you become the farthest from them (frequent involvement may cause friction and disturbance) and do not keep very far in total isolation and oblivion. Every moving thing loves its kind an

لَا تَصْحَبُوا أَهْلَ الْبِدَعِ وَ لَا تُجَالِسُوهُمْ فَتَصِيرُوا عِنْدَ النَّاسِ كَوَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص الْمَرْءُ عَلَى دِينِ خَلِيلِهِ وَ قَرِينِهِ.

“Do not befriend blasphemers and do not associate with them; people may consider you as one of them. The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘A man follows the religion of his friend and associates.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِيَّاكَ وَ مُصَادَقَةَ الْأَحْمَقِ فَإِنَّكَ أَسَرَّ مَا تَكُونُ مِنْ نَاحِيَتِهِ أَقْرَبُ مَا يَكُونُ إِلَى مَسَاءَتِكَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Never befriend an idiotic person; the more delightful you may become from his side the closer it will get to your misfortune.’”