Ibn al-Qayyim — may Allah have mercy on him said:
As for what excessive social mixing produces — it fills the heart with the smoke of human breaths until it darkens, causing it to scatter and become divided, to feel anxiety and sorrow, to weaken, and to bear burdens it cannot carry — namely, the concerns and troubles of evil companions. It leads to the neglect of one’s own interests, becoming preoccupied with others and their affairs, and the mind being divided among the valleys of their desires and demands. So what remains of it for Allah and the Hereafter?
And how many calamities have people’s company brought, how many blessings has it taken away, how many trials has it caused, how many gifts has it obstructed, how many misfortunes has it brought, and how many tribulations has it caused? Are not people’s greatest afflictions caused by other people? Was there anything more harmful to Abū Ṭālib at the time of his death than his evil companions? They continued to press him until they prevented him from uttering a single word that would have guaranteed him eternal happiness.
(Madarij al-Salikin, vol. 1, pp. 452–453)