Abstain from fellowship with evil doers.

 

65. Abstain from fellowship with evil doers: We have learned that true evil is, in reality, the absence of good in us and our actions. these things that appear evil are just the mishandling of the good things God has given us in nature, and the abuse of the spiritual laws He has sent down to us. The various writings of God tell us that we need to abstain from the performance of unsavory acts against one another, but the warnings don’t stop there. We are also warmed, in numerous texts, that we should abstain from fellowship with the unrighteous ones least their ungodly, unsavory ways, tempt us, and lead us astray from the right path. We find that these warnings are not only in the bible and the Bahá’í Writings, but are scattered throughout the rest of the heavenly books of The Creator as-well. God wants us to avoid contact and interaction with unmoral, unbelievers who can, after awhile, lead even the most, well studied, righteous believers astray into the wilderness of corrupt inclinations. The holy books are very clear on this point, and the only real dispensation to this rule is the teaching of the faith to these unenlightened ones or caring for them as loving brothers when in need.  CHRISTIANITY: 2 Thessalonians: 3:6 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly.” Romans: 16:17 “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” Ephesians: 5:11 “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” 1 Corinthians: 5:11 “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” 1 Corinthians: 10:20 “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.” 2 Corinthians: 6:14 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”  JUDAISM: Sirach: 13:17 “What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? so the sinner with the godly.” Psalms: 1:1 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Psalms: 26:5 “I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.” Psalms: 94:20 “Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?” Proverbs: 4:14 “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.” Proverbs: 18:5 “It is not good to accept the person of the wicked.” Proverbs: 24:1 “Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.” 24:2 “For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.”

  ISLAM: Letter 31. “By keeping company with good people, you will develop your character and by avoiding the society of wicked persons, you will abstain from wickedness.”

(Islam, Ali b. Abi Taalib, Letters from Nahjul Balaagh)

Letter 69. “Avoid the company of wicked people because bad company allures a person towards evil ways.”

(Ali b. Abi Taalib, Letters from Nahjul Balaagh)

 118. “O ye who believe! take not into your intimacy those outside your ranks; they will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire your ruin: rank hatred has already appeared from their mouths; what their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made plain to you the Signs, if ye have wisdom.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   3)

 3. “Follow (O men) the revelation given unto you from your Lord, and follow not, as friends or protectors, other than Him. Little it is ye remember of admonition.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   7)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: 3. “And in this belief (of ours), O Mazda (God), Right is laid down, for blessing, in the heresy the Lie, for ruin. Therefore I strive for the fellowship of Good Thought, I forbid all intercourse with the Liar.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 49)

 “Do not hear the advice of those who deprecate religion. They do more harm to you than anybody else by their misleading doctrines.” (ZOROASTER, Hymns of Atharvan p. 748)

 Denkard. Zoroaster, “Again, it is made known thus, that owing to their friendship and the touch of close relations with them, (the corrupt individuals) there is diminution of purity, alloying of good qualities, (with bad ones) and harm to habits, and lessening of glory. These people (bad people) are through friendship and the practice of eating and drinking with them, givers of separation from the yazads and of relations of impurity; and (thereby) the understanding becomes debased; therefore, as far as possible, (we) must remain, aloof from contact with and separate from them.” “Be it known that, the improvement (of men) for the happiness of heaven is by keeping an eye towards relations with the pure (and) invisible yazads, and by opposing the association with themselves of those who have the intention of wounding and giving pain (to the yazads) and are of a like disposition.” “The lightless Evil-doer.”

 HINDUISM: 30. “Let him not honour, even by a greeting, heretics, men who follow forbidden occupations, men who live like cats, rogues, logicians, (arguing against the Veda) and those who live like herons.”

(Hindu, Laws of Manu chapter 4)

 “Hide, the holy Krishna saith, This from him that hath no faith, Him that worships not, nor seeks Wisdom’s teaching when she speaks: Hide it from all men who mock;”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr)

 246. “He who is persevering, gentle, (and) patient, shuns the company of men of cruel conduct, and does no injury to living creatures.” “Evil is forbidden…..it should be particularly avoided.”

(Hindu, Laws of Manu chapter 4 and The Dharma Sutras, Apastamba Prasna 2)

 BUDDHISM: 6. “Don’t cultivate the company of bad companions. Don’t cultivate depraved men. Cultivate companions of good character. Cultivate superior men.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards))

 6. “Do not have wrong-doers for friends; do not have despicable people for friends; have virtuous people for friends; have for friends the best people.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 2 (tr. J. Richards))

 “Associate not with evil friends; Associate not with mean men; Associate with good friend; Associate with noble men.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 3 (tr. J. Richards))

 “Let seekers for truth reverently approach those who are wise and avoid the sticklers for particular words.” “The Bodhisattva should keep himself away from all turmoil, social excitements and sleepiness; let him keep away from the treatises and writings of worldly philosophers, and from the ritual and ceremonies of professional priestcraft.” (Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra)

 SABEANISM: “Love not treacherous spirits and seductive courtesans. Love not lust, and lying phantoms.” “Avaunt! flee in fear all (ye) evil, restricting, wrathful spirits! Flee, begone,” (Sabeanism, Instructions from Adam chapter 17)

 “Any man who doth not confirm this end (conclusion) we will avoid and not approach him. He may go in his clothes and roll in his filth!” “Arm me against all that is evil: be for me a bulwark against rebels and a Hand of Truth against the destructive powers of this world.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- 74 and 410)

 BABI RELIGION: “Let not the deeds of those who reject the Truth shut you out as by a veil.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 161)

 “Fear thou God, thy Lord, and make mention of His Name in the day-time and at eventide. Follow not the promptings of the faithless, lest thou be reckoned among the exponents of idle fancies.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 160)

BAHA’I FAITH: “With all his heart should the seeker avoid fellowship with evil doers, and pray for the remission of their sins.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 194)

“He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfill. With all his heart he should avoid fellowship with evil-doers, and pray for the remission of their sins. He should forgive the sinful, and never despise his low estate, for none knoweth what his own end shall be. How often hath a sinner attained, at the hour of death, to the essence of faith, and, quaffing the immortal draught, hath taken his flight unto the Concourse on high! And how often hath a devout believer, at the hour of his soul’s ascension, been so changed as to fall into the nethermost fire!”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 265)