Proverbs of King Solomon (mayb) 13:20 The one walking with the wise will become wise, But the one who has dealings with the stupid will fare badly.
And 1 Corintians 15: 33. Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.
The latter was often used as a Warner to keep members of the Christian congregation I used to belong to away from one another. It effectively acted as some sort of autoimmune disease where the body of the congregation was separated and against each other and one of my least favourite applications because it assumed that ‘we’ were the good associations.
And often, more appropriately, it was used as a Warner against media, music, literature, all of which insidiously affect thinking.
These warners are found in every religion. From Trinity doctrine churches, to Islam. A warning to be careful of who you make friends with in the negative. And as uncomfortable as it may make you feel - is it not an advance on the thinking that takes you away from nightclubs and drinking, into a congregation of people professing to love God?
The Proverb of Solomon (mAbp) gave the positive, the acknowledgment that community, the whole community is involved in teaching and supporting each other until we die. To seek out fellow thinkers to be strengthened and strengthen them. Because nothing is certain, certainly not your entry to Paradise. We just have to ask, what is ‘my best’ that I can give to Allah.
