Companionship: Nourishment, Medicine, Disease, or Poison

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

The first group is those whose companionship is similar to nourishment, essential for both morning and evening. One leaves it once their needs are fulfilled, and returns to it when in need. These people are those who know Allah, His commandments, the plots employed by His enemies, the diseases of the hearts, and the remedies to heal them. They are sincere to Allah, His Messenger, and His creation, and their company brings forth comprehensive benefits.

The second group is those whose companionship can be compared to vital medication needed during periods of illness. Thus, you do not need to intermingle with them as long as you are healthy. These are people one cannot do without when it comes to beneficial aspects of life, such as sustaining a livelihood, fulfilling various dealings, engaging in partnerships, seeking consultation, receiving medical aid, and so forth.

The third group is those whose companionship resembles various diseases, each with its level of severity and mildness. Within this group, there is one whose companionship is akin to a chronic illness. This particular person does not bring any benefit to your religious or worldly matters, and in fact, associating with them may result in a loss in either or both aspects of your life. Therefore, if you engage with this person, it would be like a disease that could ultimately lead to your demise. Among them, there is one whose companionship is comparable to a toothache whose pain intensifies, but abates once the toothache disappears.

The fourth group is those whose companionship is utterly destructive, and associating with them is akin to consuming poison. Common indeed is this among the people! May Allah not increase their numbers, and they are the advocates of misguidance and innovation in religious matters. They obstruct others from following the path of the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and instead call to that which is in opposition to it. They divert people from the path of Allah and strive to distort it, presenting innovation in religious matters as if they were part of the Sunnah, and misrepresenting virtues as vices and vices as virtues. Whenever you establish pure Islamic monotheism among them, they say, “You have degraded the Awliyaa [friends of Allah]”.

And when you adhere strictly to the path of the Messenger, they say, “You have invalidated the adherence to the path of the Imams”. Furthermore, when you enjoin what Allah and His Messenger have commanded and forbid what they have forbidden, they say, “You are subjecting people to trials”. [1]

[1]An Excerpt from “Bada’i at-Tafsir Al-Jami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim 3/467-469