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.

If someone's state does not lift you up,
and his words do not lead you to Allah
- then do not keep his company!

... Hikam of ibn 'Ata'llah

The one whose state lifts you up is someone who is such that, when you see him, you remember Allah. If you see him when you are in a state of heedlessness, he lifts you to a state of wakefulness. If you see him when you are in a state of desire, he raises you to a state of asceticism. If you see him when you are in a state of occupation with disobedience, he raises you to a state of repentance. If you are in a state of ignorance of your Lord, he raises you to recognition of your Lord, and so forth.

The one whose words guide you to Allah is the one who speaks by Allah. He directs you to Allah and withdraws from other than Him. When he speaks, he takes all the hearts, and when he is silent, his state raises you to the Knower of the Unseen worlds. So his state confirms his words and his words are in harmony with his knowledge. The company of someone like this is an elixir which transforms the sources. This is understood from the words of the Shaykh, "If someone's state does not life you up, then do not keep his company." Keep the company of the one whose state will lift you up and whose words will lead you to Allah.

...ibn Ajiba's commentary

You love someone because you feel they are close to Allah. Their closeness to Allah wins your love for them. It is a very virtuous deed indeed when you love someone for Allah. Through it you get the sweetness of faith. You feel content and your heart is tranquil. The heart moves with Allah. The sign that you love someone for Allah is that you can leave that someone when he/she is distant from Allah. People who are distant from Allah, you have an aversion of them. You don't want to be their best friend.

Choose your friends carefully. You will be like them. These are the people that can bring you closer to Allah or away from Allah.

It is good to love the believers because this is your means of success in the Day of Judgment.

When you see righteousness in your friends, it is good to say "I love you."

May Allah grant us righteous companions and grant us the sweetness of faith. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam