Choose Your Friends Carefully

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

It is extremely important to choose and have good companions. Such a companion will remind you of Allah and help you follow the straight path, the path of those upon whom Allah has bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked His anger or of those who are astray.

Allah calls upon the believer to fear Him and tells us how we can accomplish that--by being with the truthful--those who are true in what they say and what they do.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّـهَ وَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ ﴿١١٩

O you who believe, fear Allah and be with those who are true (in words and deeds).

[Qur'an At-Tawba 9:119]

The formula is simple. If your friends are of the righteous, they will pull you towards what is good and encourage you to do what is pleasing to Allah, that which will take you to Paradise, by the Mercy of Allah. If your friends are of those who are heedless of Allah, they will pull you towards what is bad and encourage you to do what is pleasing to Shaytan, that which can lead you to the Hellfire.

If we don't choose our companions right, we will be sorry in the Day of Judgment. Allah Almighty says,

وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى ٱتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا ﴿٢٧﴾ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِى لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًا ﴿٢٨﴾ لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِى عَنِ ٱلذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَآءَنِى ۗ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ خَذُولًا ﴿٢٩

And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, "Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way. (27) Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend. (28) He led me away from the remembrance after it had come to me. And ever is Satan, to man, a deserter."

(29) [Qur'an Al-Furqan 25:27-29]

وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُۥ شَيْطَـٰنًا فَهُوَ لَهُۥ قَرِينٌ ﴿٣٦﴾ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَصُدُّونَهُمْ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ ﴿٣٧﴾ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَنَا قَالَ يَـٰلَيْتَ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكَ بُعْدَ ٱلْمَشْرِقَيْنِ فَبِئْسَ ٱلْقَرِينُ ﴿٣٨﴾ وَلَن يَنفَعَكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ إِذ ظَّلَمْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ فِى ٱلْعَذَابِ مُشْتَرِكُونَ ﴿٣٩

And whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful - We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion. (36) And indeed, the devils avert them from the way [of guidance] while they think that they are [rightly] guided (37) Until, when he comes to Us [at Judgement], he says [to his companion], "Oh, I wish there was between me and you the distance between the east and west - how wretched a companion." (38) And never will it benefit you that Day, when you have wronged, that you are [all] sharing in the punishment. (39)

[Qur'an Az-Zuhruf 43:36-39]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, explained to us this matter of good companionship. He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

A person is upon the religion of his khaleel (close friend), so look to whom you befriend.

[Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi]

Do not keep company except with a believer, and do not feed except a person who has taqwa (fear of Allah).

[Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi]

So, choose your friends and pay attention who your children are friends with.

Allah Almighty says,

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّـهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ﴿٦

O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.

[Qur'an At-Tahrim 66:6]

May Allah grant us righteous companions. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam