One hour of friendship with a deviated friend might change...

One hour of friendship with a deviated friend might change our fate and cause a lot of regrets. In traditions, it has been advised not to associate with fool, miser, timid, liar, astray, wrongdoer, adulterer, tyrant king, deceitful friend, wealthy oppressor, enemy, one who has no love for relatives, evildoers, women, people of heresies, and those who curse the friends of God. Addressing his son Imam Hassan (AS), Imam Ali (AS) says: “My son!

Avoid making friend with a fool, for he intends to benefit you, but he will harm you. Avoid making friend with a miser, for he prevents you from getting what you need. Avoid making friend with a wrongdoer, for he betrays you out for a little.

Avoid making friend with a liar, for he is like a mirage that makes far things appear close to you and makes close things appear far to you .”[^6] Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “Keep away from those whom your hearts do not like.” Evidently, the Lord of the universe has naturally created all human beings pure and innocent. The conscience, which is the inner ruler of man, can say what is praiseworthy and what is blameworthy.

Hence, a pure heart is not pleased with vices and does not approve any indecency. Mostafa Lotfi, in his book Ghorfat al-Ahzan (chamber of sorrows), relates an admonitory story as follows: “I had a friend whom I loved very much. He was the only friend who never hurt me. I never hurt him either. I had to go on a long journey. Hence, I left Cairo and said farewell to my dear friend. We wrote to each other for a long time, but all of a sudden all the correspondence stopped.

There was no news of him anymore. When I went back to Cairo, I went to his house, but I was said he had moved to a new place. I was very sad and did my best to find his address, but it was useless. One night when I was going home, I got lost and found myself in a faraway neighborhood of the city. I felt I was being drowned in a black sea between two high mountains when I heard the moaning of a man.

I said to myself: ‘How strange that this dark night has hidden the secrets of the miserable man in it.’ I had vowed to help any misfortunate man I found. The moaning came from a house. I knocked the door. A small girl in shabby dress opened the door. I asked her if there was a sick person at home. She said that her father needed help. I entered the house, feeling that I was going to the world of the dead from the world of living ones. I went near the sick person and sat beside him.