Not Everyone Should Be a Very Close Friend
Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥibbān, may Allāh have mercy on him, said:
A person who understands things properly will not consider [just anyone] to be a very close, trusted friend unless [he’s] someone with superior insight, religion, [Islāmic] knowledge, and good character traits, someone with good understanding who has grown up with righteous people–because being friends with a slow-witted person who grew up among people with good understanding is better than being friends with an intelligent person who grew up among the ignorant.
Rawḍah Al-ʿUqalāʾ, p. 90, as quoted by Shaikh ʿAbdullāh Al-Bukhārī.
قال الحافظ ابن حبّان -رحمه الله-:
" العاقل لا يُواخي إلّا ذا فضلٍ في الرّأي والدّين والعلم والأخلاق الحسنة، ذا عقلٍ نشأ مع الصّالحين؛ لأنّ صحبة بليدٍ نشأ مع العقلاء خير من صحبة لبيبٍ نشأ مع الجُهّال ".
(روضة العقلاء)(ص ٩٠).— أ.د. عبدالله البخاري (@dr_albukhary) July 10, 2020