Ceasing association for fear of suspicion

Question

It is a common practice in the world that a person travels to foreign countries to attain his aims — for example, to acquire knowledge and other worldly gains. It is also usual for every person that one man’s temperament does not agree with another’s; so people take along on a journey someone who suits their temperament and spend their life during the journey with him. This is what is observed day and night.

Answer

For a Muslim to break off ties of friendship (muwalat) with a Muslim, and to stop exchanging salam and speech while harbouring rancour in the heart, is impermissible. Helping one another according to need and according to one’s means is necessary, but it is also necessary to avoid occasions of suspicion: to whatever degree mixing with someone actually carries the danger of…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.