Obviously! I had to throw this lemon on priority basis, not just because it got fungus on it and is of no use to me BUT also because if it is left unattended with other lemons which are not affected with fungi yet, they will also get the fungi from it.
This is a very small and common example of day to day things we come across in our kitchens but this reminds us of how much the company matters!
Imagine! What about us then? What about our company? Ever thought about it?
Recently! A desperate mother shared with me how her son was a good person but how eventually his company of friends has dragged him to an extent that he has started even criticising the basic tenets of Islam.
The Prophet ﷺ reminds us of the importance of good company in this hadith (record of the Prophet ﷺ): “A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.”
[Bukhari, Muslim]
The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) was reportedly asked: “Which of our companions are best?” He replied: “One whose appearance reminds you of God, and whose speech increases you in knowledge, and whose actions remind you of the hereafter.”
May Allah (swt) help us to have a good company.
Ameen.