Take a moment to ask yourself, 'Who do I hang out with the most?' for the majority of us the answer will be 'my friends' (consisting of students or colleagues). We share the majority of our life with these people. It's human nature to adapt to the lifestyle of those that we spend most of our time with in order to fit in. Unfortunately, many times we tend to adopt the negative habits of these friends. For this reason, it is important to surround ourselves with friends who will make us better people, not worse. This takes me to the following Hadith:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was reportedly asked: "Which of our companions are best?" He replied: "One whose appearance reminds you of God, and whose speech increases you in knowledge, and whose actions remind you of the hereafter."

In another Hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A person is on the religion of his companions. Therefore let every one of you carefully consider the company he keeps." [Tirmidhi]

I've slowly come to realize the influence people who strive towards Allah and the people who don't, have on me. As well as, the impact I have on these people. In the past, I've had groups of people who I've considered friends, who've had no connection with Allah through any religion. It was such people that made me feel like religion wasn't important. Unfortunately, I was too interested in having friends, then caring about their religious background or character. Looking back now, I realize how lost I was and how drawn to the world I had become. Slowly, my group of friends changed to girls who had a strong love for their Creator, consisting of: A Hindu, A Buddhist and two Muslims. It was their positive and pious vibe that increased my love for Allah. Hanging around such people made me understand their faiths, as they understood mine. I no longer had to make up excuses of 'being busy' to avoid parties and mixed gender hangouts. Only because they knew my comfort level and reasoning, as I knew theirs. Just as they impacted me, I was constantly told by them, the impact I had on them. I had one Muslim friend, who wasn't overly consistent in prayers, nor did she aim to have a better relationship with Allah. However, she noticed me saying things like 'Be right back, I have to pray', 'I read in the Qur'an that...' and the simple words: InshAllah, Alhamdulillah, MashAllah and Subhanallah. Once she realized the positive impact Islam had on my life, she strived to do the same. Sometimes I would receive a message from her saying, 'Guess what? I read all five prayers today!' Seeing this excitement within her, made me glad to have been a minor influence on her bond with Allah.

Some of you may not have a tight-knit group of friends who guide you to the path of Allah. But this does not mean that you will never be able to achieve the tranquility of your heart. If we find that our companions are unable to influence us to be more mindful of Allah, then we must take on the responsibility of changing this atmosphere. We should also seek for ways of finding company that will guide us to Allah. Whether this be friends from local Masjids, religious conferences, or community groups. Make the effort!