Importance of friendship, companionship and company: You are known by your friends

 Narrations from the Salaf Concerning Judging One by His Companionship

Aboo Qilaabah (d.104H) rahimahullaah, “May Allaah fight the poet who said, 

‘Do not ask about a person, ask about his associate; Since every person follows his associate.”

I say, it was as if Aboo Qilaabah admired the one who recited the poetry, that was ’Adee 

Ibn Zayd al-’Ibaadee. Stated al-Asma’ee, ‘I have never seen a piece of poetry resembling the Sunnah, more than this statement of ’Adee.”

BENEFIT Said al-A’mash (d.148H) - rahimahullaah,

“They (the Salaf) did not used to ask anything more about a person after having asked three affairs: whom he walks with, whom he enters upon, and whom he associates with amongst the people,”

 al-Ibaanah (2/478). 

Refer to al-Ibaanah (2/439).

Translated by Maaz Qureshi