Life of Muhammad — Page 236
sa 236 virtue for a man to honour the friends of his father. Among the persons addressed was ‘ Abdull a h bin ‘ Umar ra. Many years after, while proceeding on Pilgrimage, he met a Bedouin and he made over to him his own mount and also presented him with his turban. One of his companions observed that he had been over- generous as a Bedouin would be pleased with very little. ‘ Abdull a h bin ‘ Umar ra said: "This man's father was a friend of my father's and I have heard the Holy Prophet sa say that it is one of the highest virtues for a man to honour his father's friends. " KEEPING GOOD COMPANY He always preferred to keep company with the virtuous and if he observed any weakness in any of his Companions ra he admonished him gently and in private. Ab u Mus a Ash ‘ ari ra relates: "The Holy Prophet sa illustrated the benefit to be derived from good friends and virtuous companions and the injury to be apprehended from evil friends and vicious companions by saying: ‘ A man who keeps company with virtuous people is like a person who carries about musk with him. If he partakes of it he derives benefit from it, if he sells it he makes a profit out of it and if he merely keeps it he enjoys its perfume. A man who keeps company with evil persons is like one who blows into a charcoal furnace; all that he can expect is that a spark may alight upon his clothes and set them on fire or that the gas emitted by the charcoal may upset his brain'. " He used to say that a man's character takes on the colour of the company he keeps and that therefore one should be careful to spend one's time in the company of the good ( Bukh a r i and Muslim ). SAFEGUARDING PEOPLE'S FAITH The Holy Prophet sa was very careful to safe-guard against possible misunderstandings. On one occasion