Bad friends are destructive Friday, 27 August 2010 04:47

By Dr Ramzi Al Saeed

Parents can magnify the danger of bad friendship on their children by overlooking the perilous impact a friend can have on their children. Children are always good when their friends are good, but they are bad when their friends are so.

Wise sayings abound about the importance of selecting good friends, including one which says “a friend in need is a friend indeed” and another, which says “Select a good friend before you select your road”.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told Abu Moussa Al Ashaari that a good friend was like the seller of musk. “This seller will either give you some of his musk, sell you some it, or you simply enjoy the pleasant smell by being with him,” the Prophet said. “As for a bad friend, he is like a blacksmith who will either burn your clothes or give you a dirty smell,” he added.

Some friends remain true and loyal under all circumstances. Others, however, make friends with people who give them material benefits.  Islam asks its adherents to have cordial relations with others by avoiding being corrupt and harmful to individuals and society. It also asks its followers to avoid harmful effects of bad company.

Good friends are like an honest mirror although they make themselves scarce. Muslims have to be honest with their friends. They have to wish them well as they do their closest relatives.

Good friends are those whose faces do not hide away what they keep in their hearts. They are the ones who sincerely advise their friends and do not hide the facts away from them.

These are people who remain the same even if they become wealthy or powerful. They are eager to help their friends, particularly at times of need.

Humans are social creatures by nature. They are always in need of friends and companions. We depend on interaction with others most of the time. Strong individuals are the pillars of a strong community.  When choosing our friends we should ask ourselves first: Are they going to help us achieve the purpose for which we were brought to life? Or will they take us away from it? Will they desire for us Allah’s pleasure or is that completely irrelevant to them and not their concern at all? Are they leading us to Paradise or to the Hell.

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