Necessity of friends:

Man is a social being. He/she cannot live alone. In fact, the nature of human beings is of such kind that they do not want to live alone. In spite of having innumerable pleasures in heaven, Adam (A) got impatient because of his loneliness. In order to remove his loneliness, Bibi Hawa (A) was created as his life-partber. So it is found that human life becomes undynamic if there is no friend or companion.


Carefulness about selecting friends:

In worldly life, no person is free from the influence or contact of friends. The great Prophet (Sm) says: “A person is influenced by his/her friend’s nature and character. So assess the person properly whom you are making friends with”. That is, a person is influenced by his/her friends. So you have to make friends with someone observing the latter’s nature and character. A person can gain dignity of high status by coming in to contact with an honest friend and favourable environment. On the contactary, having unfavourable surroundings and coming into contact with dishonest friends he/she may be ruined totally. Giving instructions as to whome you are going to make friends with and who you are going to work with, Almighty Allah says: “O believers! Be affaid of Allah and be companion of the truthful people” (Sura Taobah: 119) if you keep company with dishonest people, there is every possibility of being dishonest. A proverb goes that honest company is heavenly, and dishonest company is dangerous. The Prophet (Sm) says, “Loneliness is better than a bad companion and having honest companion is better than loneliness”.



The qualities of an honest friend:

Iman Guazzali (R) , great man, said, “the person with whom uou will make friends, should possess fine qualities. These are : intelligence, honest nature, not being a sinner, neither a Bidaati nor someone who is attached to this world.”

Intelligence: There is no benefit in making friends with a stupid. There is a proverb: An intelligent enemy is better than a foolish friend.”
Honest nature: There is no good in having friendship with someone who is bad by nature. A friend’s nature influences greatly the other friends. So one should select friend who have honest nature.
Not being a sinner: One cannot be safe from the haram caused by one who is not afraid of Almighty Allah. His words cannot be relied on. One sinner should not be selected as a friend.
Not being a Bidaati: Bidaat means the bad deed that goes against the Holy Quran and Sunnah. The man who is engaged in doing thing, against the Quran and Sunnah, should be abandoned. This is because his Bidaat will contaminate his other friends.
Not being attracted to this world: The person who gives person who giving preference to this world than the world hereafter is influenced by his instincts and engages himself/herself in doing sins. Making friends with such a man will bring no benefit.

Giving warning about making friends Hazrat Jafar Sadip (R) said, Do not make friends with five people.”



They are:

A liar –Because wnly fraudulence and deception will be received from him.
A foolish—You can expect no benefit from him/her rather you will get harm.
A coward—He will hand you over to your enemy in time of danger.
A sinner—He will sell you for a very small price.
A miser—He will leave you in time of your dire need.


It is different to recognize who a real friend is. A deadly enemy often comes in disguise of a friend and causes serious harm. The Satan Ibalis also came to Adam (A) and Hawa (A) in disguise of a friend and caused great mischief to them.