I am currently attending the alMaghrib ‘Ilm Summit in Texas Houston and would like to share some of what I have benefited from. Everyday we have 15mins on Adab (Manners) and today Shaikh Yasir Birjis spoke about the importance of good company for the student of knowledge. He said that their are three types of friends:-

1) Companions of convenience - one may meet, greet, and spend time with them when its suits one another but when the convenience of the meeting subsides, so too does the friendship. This relationship is quite selfish in nature as it is based of personal benefit alone so both parties only want to be around each other for a need they have- which is usually only worldly. Generally speaking the student of knowledge will automatically marginalize such friends as his social circles are of a different nature.

2) Companions of pleasure - As human being are social beings they love to be around others with whom they can be comfortable and share their emotions, problems and desires. When two people who meet and genuinely are entertained by each other they will seek to continue their relationship which may have good or evil content. Overall however this type of friendship is the most dangerous for the student of knowledge as it levies more rights of people upon his heart. So this person will feel more inclined to spend more time, energy and resource in befriending, caring and aiding his friend which will proportionally detract from his life long objective of pursuing knowledge. So the more people of this nature he befriends the more rights he becomes burdened with. It is very difficult to discipline one’s relationship with such people in order to avoid its detrimental effects and still take from its limited goodness.

3) Companions 2 die 4! - “By time all of mankind is in loss! except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, exhort one another to the truth and exhort one another to patience” [Surah al-Asr]. Hence most of mankind is destined for Hellfire (may Allah save us) and only a few are stand out men and women who have these 4 qualities are saved. These are the people to befriend, stubbornly attach oneself to, and to live one’s life with.

They are identified in 2 ways:-

a. As they truly believe in Allah and do good deeds in secret they will naturally do them in the open too around other people. If you find someone who consistently does certain good deeds then know that they have good deeds as their habitual habits and thus are good company to keep. Likewise an evil person will have bad habits which they cannot hide from those they meet outside and hence over time these evil habits become known to those who spend time with them

b. After spending a period of time with good companions one finds at when departing from their company that the heart feels as though faith has been refreshed, Allah has been remembered and benefit has been taken from the meeting. So when one ponders over their relationship with that friend they feel content and pleased that they have been brought closer to Allah through it.

Such people will always correct your mistakes and will not hesitate to encroach on the others ego or political correctness to advise you….and subhanallah the heart loves them for that and marvels and their tenacity.

For an ardent student of knowledge such a person is a gem to be sought out and protected. Because one can benefit a great deal from them and accelerate the fruitation of their knowledge through revising, discussing and even debating with them, that which one is learning.