Reference: http://al-badr.net/detail/8GRNw34HPqbY
Sufyaan (May Allaah have mercy upon him) said:
There is nothing more destructive upon a person, or more beneficial to a person, than his friend [1]
This is because the nature of people is that they follow and imitate those they accompany and take as friends.
So accompanying and sitting with students of knowledge will develop a desire in you to seek knowledge.
Accompanying people of Zuhd (ascetism and simplicity) will encourage you to also develop ascetism and simplicity.
As for accompanying and sitting with the people of innovation and desires, then this will lower you to following desires and innovations.
Accompanying and sitting with a person who only pays attention to the Dunya (Worldly Life), will cause you to be attached to it.
For this reason, it is important a person to choose friends and people he socializes with who will be good and beneficial to him when socializing with them. Also, one should be extremely careful from evil friends.
A person being guided to accompany a righteous friend can count himself to be blessed with the greatest of blessings.
Footnotes
[1] Narrated ibn Al-Ibaanah by Ibn Battah (p504)
الجليس
المرجع: http://al-badr.net/detail/8GRNw34HPqbY
قال سفيان رحمه الله: «ليس شيء أبلغ في فساد رجل وصلاحه من صاحب». الإبانة لابن بطة (504)
وذلك أنَّ طباعَ الإنسان مجبولةٌ على الاقتداء والتشبه بمن يقارن، فمجالسة طلاب العلم تحرك في النفس الحرص على طلب العلم، ومجالسة الزهاد تزهد في الدنيا، ومجالسة المبتدعة وأهل الأهواء تردي في مهاوي البدع،
ومجالسة الحريص على الدنيا تحرك في النفس الحرص على الدنيا، وهكذا؛ ولهذا لزم المرء أن يختار من القرناء والخلطاء من يكون له في خلطتهم خير ونفع، وأن يحذر أشد الحذر من قرناء السوء،
والتوفيق لصحبة الجليس الصالح معدود في أعظم النعم.
