The ruling on the hadith: "Do not keep company with anyone but a believer, and let no one eat your food but one who is pious"

Question:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good. He also asks about the authenticity of this hadith ,

Answer:
This is a valid, established hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It encourages keeping the company of people of faith and befriending the pious. It is incumbent upon the Muslim that his sitting and his mixing be with the pious; he should visit them and they should visit him, for in that lies assistance in matters of his religion and his worldly affairs. This is unlike people of sins and people of deviation in religion and character, for they corrupt a person if he mixes with them, visits them, is visited by them, or sits with them. A man is like his companion. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The example of a good companion is like a carrier of musk: either he gives you some, or you buy some from him, or you find a pleasant scent from him. And the example of a bad companion is like a blacksmith: either he burns your clothes, or you find a foul smell from him." Yes.