In the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (Do not keep company with anyone but a believer, and let no one eat your food but one who is pious), he asks: What are the limits beyond which I do not admit my brother?

The questioner : A questioner asks about the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: What are the limits beyond which I do not admit my Muslim brother to my home or feed him my food?

The Shaykh : What we understand from this hadith, and Allah knows best, is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sets a methodology for the Muslim to follow in his life: he does not keep company with anyone but a believer, and no one eats his food but one who is pious. The hadith does not mean that it is not permissible for a Muslim to feed a non-believer who is not righteous; rather, the hadith intends that he should not mix with anyone but a believer, and no one should eat his food but one who is pious. Mixing, keeping company, and friendship are one thing, and feeding a disbeliever or an open sinner on some occasion is another. That is permissible, but it should not be the methodology of his life. This is because the companion of the righteous and the truthful is influenced by their company for good, and the opposite is the opposite. meaning he gives it to you for free. And the meaning of the hadith is that the companion of the righteous must come out of it with a gain, and the opposite is the opposite: the companion of the wicked must be harmed by him. As he (peace be upon him) gave the example: the companion of the righteous is like the seller of musk; either he gives you some of the musk for free, which is an apparent benefit, or you buy from him, which is a lesser benefit, or you smell a pleasant scent from him, which is also a benefit, though less than the two previous ones. Similarly, he gave the example of the bad companion as being like the blacksmith: either he burns your clothes with the fire he lights, or you smell a foul odor because of it. So, as they say, the companion is a dragger: if he is righteous, he drags you to his righteousness, and if he is wicked, he drags you to wickedness. Therefore, it was said:
"Do not ask about a man, but ask about his companion, *** For every associate follows the example of his associate."
From this came a very important command from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) when he forbade, in more than one authentic hadith, a Muslim from mixing with the polytheists. He said (peace and blessings be upon him) and he said (peace and blessings be upon him) and he also said meaning that the Muslim should live far away from the polytheist and not mix with him, to the extent that if one of them lights his fire, according to the custom of the Arabs in their tents in the past, and also... among some of the Companions, the fire becomes visible. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Be far in your residence from the residence of the polytheist, lest you be affected by his traditions, customs, morals, and dispositions." Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to mix with anyone except the righteous. This is the intended meaning of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) in the previous hadith that was asked about: Yes.