Allah ﷻ created human beings to be social. Despite the nature of the people of different cultures, languages, beliefs, and understandings, our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ managed to transform his words so much so that it can be accepted and understood by the hearts of all the believers.
Narrated Abu Musa:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “The example of a good companion (who sits with you) in comparison with a bad one, is like that of the musk seller and the blacksmith’s bellows (or furnace); from the first you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell while the bellows would either burn your clothes or your house, or you get a bad nasty smell thereof.”
| Reference | : Sahih al-Bukhari 2101 |
| In-book reference | : Book 34, Hadith 54 |
| USC-MSA web (English) reference | : Vol. 3, Book 34, Hadith 314 |
Ask yourself this question; are we the friend of the perfume seller or the blacksmith? Look around at your circle of friends and ponder upon your characters because our friends are the reflection of ourselves. It is vital for us to choose good companions.
However, you don’t have the luxury of choosing your parents or your family. In a family unit, parents and children can have varieties of discourses and perspectives that sometimes cause discomfort and dispute. In the upcoming family conference: Behind Closed Doors, we will discuss the reasons for these conflicts and also the solutions to deal with them.
