Avoiding the Assemblies of the Careless
A person’s inner world and spiritual quality are largely shaped by whom they befriend and how they spend their time. If a person is surrounded by those who forget Allah, constantly talking about worldly gains and trivial matters, their heart will quickly darken and harden. Shaykh Geylani measures this truth with a very sharp criterion: “What led you to carelessness? The proof of being completely careless is sitting and rising with many careless people.” A person who only frequents assemblies that idolize the world and carnal desires loses his vigilance, no matter how much they worship.
The Truth of a Bad Friend
A true friend is one who calls you to Allah, not to the world. If the person beside you constantly encourages greed, accumulating wealth, and sin, then they are an enemy. “A friend takes away your evil; an enemy misleads and confuses you.” A believer is obligated to stay away from those people whose faith in the afterlife is shaken and who present fleeting desires as attractive. As Shaykh Geylani (QS) said, “Do not sit with those who make you love the bad aspects of this world. Seek out whoever protects you from its evils.” Association with the careless is a insidious poison that leads a person to eternal disappointment.
Association with Righteous People
The heart finds healing and revival only by participating in the company of righteous (good) servants who remember Allah and place His pleasure above all else. “Cling to the people of truth… They rescue those who are drowning. They have mercy on those suffering.” These perfect individuals compassionately pull out the helpless, who are about to drown in the seas of spirituality. A believer, following the secret of “Stay close to the travelers of Allah. Obey them in word and deed,” if they follow the righteous, they will partake of their luminous state, and the veils of carelessness in their heart will be torn away one by one, making way for absolute certainty (belief).