How Should Bad Acquaintances Be Treated?

How should Muslims treat people who habitually engage in sinful actions?

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• A bad acquaintance is a person who regularly or continuously engages in wrong actions. A person must remember that if people’s actions are wrong, their acquaintance or company can become harmful or bad to another person. For this reason, all Muslims are advised not to keep regular company or close companionship with bad acquaintance.
• Keeping company with such a person may lead to one imitating his/her bad habits. Some people give the example of a box of tomatoes. They say that if one tomato has gone bad, it should be removed from the box; otherwise, all the tomatoes around it will also go bad. A Muslim must give good advice to bad acquaintance.
• Muslims must advise fellow Muslims to stop doing wrong deeds. Also, remember that bad acquaintances have certain basic rights such as:

1. Going to his/her funeral if he/she dies;
2. If he/she is ill, you should visit him/her.
3. If he/she invites you to an ‘Aqeeqah, or a beneficial gathering you should go.
4. If he/she greets you, you should reply.
5. Say ‘Yarhamukallaah’, if he/she sneezes and says ‘Alhamdulillaah!’

• If a person knows a Muslim who has bad habits, the person still has to give the Muslim his/her due rights. The person should not ignore these people totally, as they may become worse. At the same time you should not socialize with them, as you may become like them. People who sin a lot, may not get the Help of Allah ﷻ . People who do good receive the Help of Allah ﷻ , and nothing is better than the Help of Allah ﷻ :

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱرْكَعُوا۟ وَٱسْجُدُوا۟ وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ وَٱفْعَلُوا۟ ٱلْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ۩ ( سورة الحج : ۷۷ )

O you who have believed! Bow and prostrate and worship your Lord and do good-that you may succeed.” (Soorat al-Hajj: 77)

What we learn from the lesson:

1. All Muslims have seven basic Islamic rights.
2. Whether a Muslim does good or bad, the basic Islamic rights should be given.