Meetings Between Friends

There are two kinds of meetings between friends:

The first kind is meeting based on sociability and spending time, in which there are more disadvantages then advantages, the least of which is corruption of the heart and wasting time.

The second kind is a meeting for the sake of supporting one another, and recommending one another to the truth and to patience. This is the best kind, yet there are still three disadvantages therein:

1. Flattering each other.

2. Being excessively talkative.

3. That such meetings become a habit or routine and they fail to achieve their aims.

In general, the result of social meetings will be derived from the source, which is either for the soul inclined to evil, or for the heart and the peaceful soul. If the source is good, surely the fruit will also be good. Pure souls derive their nature from their Lord, while evil ones derive their nature from the devil. Hence, Allaah, the Exalted and Ever Majestic, renders good women for good men and bad men for bad women.

- Ibnul Qayyim's al Fawa'id