Aslam

(4) Innovation : It is the duty of one to have no connection with an innvoator . What benefit will accidie from his help ?
Hazrat Omar gave encouragement for religious nature of a friend. He said : You should make friendship with the truthful, because in that case you will live under their care, as they increase happiness in time of joy and remove difficulties at the time of sorrow. Bear well the affairs of your friends, keep your enemy distant and warn your friend, but don't keep a trusted man of a people distant. He who does not fear God is not a trustworthy man. Don't keep company with a great sinner. Don't give clue to your secrets to him. Consult with those in all your affairs who fear God.

The sage Alqamah Attar advised his son at the time of his

death— Odear son, iTyoiTreel necessity of making friendship, make friendship with such a man who will save you if you save him, who will increase your beauty if you keep company with him, who will help you when you fall in a trouble. If you extent your hand of good towards him, he will also extend his hand of good towards you. He will help you in any good work you undertake . He will remove any evil if he sees in you. He will give you if you want something from him. He will begin with you when he remain silent. He will be sorry when any disaster falls on you and gives you pain. He will confirm your word as true when you speak. He will advise you when you intend to do an action.
He will place your opinion above when there arise difference of opinion among you.

The sage Jafar Sadeq said: Don't keep company with four persons- (1 ) a liar, you will get deception from him and he will make the the distant near and the near distant ; (2) a fool, you will not get any benefit from him, he will do you harm if he goes to do your benefit; (3) a miser, he will forsake you at the time of your dire necessity ; (4) a coward, he will flee away after surrendering you in the hands of the enemies ; (5) a great sinner, he will sell you in lieu of a morsel of food for a thing of lesser value. Hazrat Junaid said ; The friendship of a transgressor with good conduct is dearer to me than that of a learned man with bad conduct. The sage Bashar Hafi said : Friend are three — (Da friend for your next world, (2) a friend for your present world, (3) a friend to console your mind. The Caliph Mansur said : Friends are of three kinds-(l) One kind of friends are like food and there is no

Vol-II Love and Brotherhood 101

alternative but to get their help, (2) Another kind of friends are like a medicine and their help is necessary at times. (3) The third kind of friends are like an epidemic disease and there is no necessity of them at any time.