بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Imām al-Barbahārī (d. 329H) said:
وإذا رأيت الرجل يجلس مع أهل الأهواء فاحذره, وعرفه, فإن جلس معه بعدما علم فَاتَّقِهِ, فإنه صاحب هوى
If you see a man sitting with the people of desires, warn him and inform him. But if he sits with him after having known, stay away from him because he is equally a person of desires
Explanation
Shaykh Sālih al-Fawzān said:
The people of desires are those who follow their desires and inclinations. They do not follow the Qur’ān and Sunnah, they follow only what their heart desires. Their way is to misinterpret, distort or reject what comes in the Qur’ān and Sunnah when it disagrees with their way and desires.
The author (al-Barbahārī) is saying; you should beware of sitting with those people because they will influence you, and you may become pleased with their way, becoming of them.
So distance yourself from them, do not sit with the people of innovation regardless of whether the innovation is creed-based like the Jahmiyyah or Mu’tazilah, or worship based like those who worship Allāh based on ignorance and misguidance, such as the Sufis and those who agree with them.
Innovations differ but they are all evil, they should not be tolerated. One should not say this is a small innovation. Do not be lenient with innovations.
If you see a man sitting with innovators, be cautious of him because him sitting with them is a proof that he loves them and is friendly with them, and they have, perhaps influenced him.
The person who sits with good people, such is proof that he loves good and it’s people, but the one who sits with evil people, it is proof that he loves evil and it’s people.
Allāh says:
وَقَدۡ نَزَّلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ أَنۡ إِذَا سَمِعۡتُمۡ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يُكۡفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسۡتَهۡزَأُ بِهَا فَلَا تَقۡعُدُواْ مَعَهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُواْ فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيۡرِهِۦٓ إِنَّكُمۡ إِذٗا مِّثۡلُهُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ جَامِعُ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا ١٤٠
And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Qur’ān) that when you hear the Verses of Allāh being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely, Allāh will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell. (Al-Mā’idah:140)
(Sharh as-Sunnah, summarised and slightly paraphrased 2/222-225)
Shaykh Rabī’ said:
The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) has warned against sitting with evil people, and there is nothing more evil than sitting with the people of innovation, who are worse than the sinners and criminals.
The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said:
مَثَلُ الْجَلِيسِ الصَّالِحِ وَالسَّوْءِ كَحَامِلِ الْمِسْكِ وَنَافِخِ الْكِيرِ، فَحَامِلُ الْمِسْكِ إِمَّا أَنْ يُحْذِيَكَ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَبْتَاعَ مِنْهُ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَجِدَ مِنْهُ رِيحًا طَيِّبَةً، وَنَافِخُ الْكِيرِ إِمَّا أَنْ يُحْرِقَ ثِيَابَكَ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَجِدَ رِيحًا خَبِيثَةً
The example of a good pious companion and an evil one is that of a person carrying musk and another blowing a pair of bellows. The one who is carrying musk will either give you some perfume as a present, or you will buy some from him, or you will get a good smell from him, but the one who is blowing a pair of bellows will either burn your clothes or you will get a bad smell from him. (Sahīh al-Bukhārī 5534)
‘The one who is carrying musk will either give you some perfume as a present, or you will buy some from him, or you will get a good smell from him‘, so you benefit and win in any case (with the good companion).
As for sitting with the evil person then you are a loser with him and harm will inevitably come to you as a result of him – he will either burn you or burn your clothes or harm you.
(‘Awn al-Bārī 2/345-347, abridged)
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