Avoid Making Friends With A Miser Because —He Will Run Away From You When You Need Him Most:
Miserliness is a blameworthy characteristic and what disease can be worse than miserliness.
One of the issues in which man has to observe Taqwa is the matter of choosing Friends — If one is indifferent, he shall suffer losses in this world and the hereafter. One should make Friends with those who are Godly, whose speech and whose deeds are accepted by Allah.
In this relation, Allah(swt) says:
"And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who Follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect". (Quran18:28)
From this Quranic verse — it is inferred that we should associate with people who call Allah (swt) morning and evening, and who seek Allah’s pleasure and not the people of pleasures who are unmindful of Allah.
Ibn al-Qayyim (May Allah have mercy on him) said: The miserly person is the one who withholds what he is required to give — The one who gives all that he is obliged to give cannot be called miserly; rather the miserly person is the one who withholds what is due From him to give. (Jalaa’ al-Afhaam — p. 385).
Ibn Abbas relates: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) was asked: ‘Which Friends are the best?’ He said: ‘One whose sight reminds you of Allah, whose saying adds to your knowledge, and whose deeds remind you of the hereafter.”
Hazrat Ali (a.s) advises us in this way: “It is incumbent on you to be Truthful to your Friends! Make Friends as many as you can, For they are your power at the time of ease and a shield in trials — Counsel those who Fear Allah. Love your brethren as much as you love Taqwa. Beware of bad women, and be careful even before the good ones.”
The Prophet(saw) said, “A man is upon the religion of his best friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2378).
A Friend has a great influence on his Friends — Most human sufferings and losses arise From Friends. It is a Friend who pushes one to addiction and causes him misfortune in this world and the hereafter.
It is a Friend who makes one a hypocrite, makes him enter battle against God, and makes him corrupt and deviant. It is on this basis that the Messenger of Allah (saw) has said: “Every man Follows the religion of his Friend.”
Therefore, we should be very careful in choosing our Friends. Any negligence results in misfortune. 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 (a.s), Imam Ali (a.s) 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 .”
Al-Ghazali (May Allah have mercy on him) said: The miserly person is the one who withholds when he should not withhold, either according to Islamic teaching or according to common decency. This is not something that can be quantified. (Ihyaa’ ‘Uloom ad-Deen — 3/260).
So, the point is — Friendship with a miser is always harmful because he will be stingy in every matter whether it is stingy wealth or knowledge. A miser will keep Friendship with us as long as it is beneficial to him — When we get into trouble and it’s time to pay off Friendship, he’ll run away.
May Allah(swt) grant us a Sincere Friend who will bring us closer to Allah with his knowledge & may we be successful in this World and the Hereafter.(Ameen).
JazakAllah (May Allah Reward You [with] Goodness)For Reading.
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