Some of our friends often ask us about associating and maintaining relations with such people, saying that such and such a man keeps expressing different kinds of doubts and objections against Islam, Islamic commandments, Islamic methods and the Sunnahs, and making jest of religious things. They sat that this is likely to have an adverse effect on our children's minds and so what should we do, should we or should we not keep relations with them?

The answer to such queries is contained in Surah VI, verse 70:

One should keep aloof from such a man so that his company and his talk may not affect one’s mind. And to discharge one's obligation one should keep advising such men with Quranic warnings so that they might be saved from divine punishment.

Mua'mmir reports that, “Ta'ous was once sitting and his son was also sat near him. Meanwhile a man of the mu'tazelite sect came and began to talk with disbelief in a legal matter. Ta'ous put fingers in both his ears and told his son: "O son! Put fingers in your ears too so that you may not hear his talk for this heart is weak.” Then he said: "O son! Plug your ears tightly". Then he continually went on saying, "O son! Keep your ears plugged forcefully'; until the misled M'utazelite (a sect of Islam in old days who would agree to the laws and principle of Islam only if materially proved or intellectually acceptable) rose up and went away.

Mau'mil bin Isma'il reports, “Abdul-Aziz bin Amin Rashad died. I was present in his funeral procession. His bier was brought and put at Bab al-Safa. There people aligned themselves in rows for his funeral prayer. Then there appeared Sufyan Thauri. People said, ‘There comes SufyanThauri’ I also saw Sufyan coming. But he came and shouldering through the rows he went on proceeding and did not say the funeral prayer for him because this man was a Mur'jite (who believes that all the verses on the torture of hell in the Quran are merely (Allah forbid!) commentary and whoever simply orally acknowledges the Kalimah ‘La Ilaha illallah,’ though one may have no belief in it in one's heart will go to Paradise, and no sins will be written even if one does not say the prayers, etc.).”

Isa Zabi reports, “A man used to go with us to Hazrat Ibrahim. Then Hazrat Ibrahim received information that the man had joined the Mur'jites sect. So Ibrahim told him, ‘Now you must go from us, please don't come here anymore.’”
 
A man came to Imam Ibn Sirin and began to talk on one of the subjects of fate. The Imam said to him: “Get up from here or I will get up myself.”

Once Imam Abu Yusuf was relating the Hadith that the Holy Prophet  used to like ‘bottle gourd’ (Kadu). Suddenly the words, ‘But I don't like it,’ escaped from a man's tongue. Imam Abu Yusuf was so much infuriated that he drew out his sword and said: "I relate a Hadith and vis-à-vis you say that you don't like it. Repent for it right away, otherwise I will behead you". Accordingly, he immediately repented and the Imam spared his life, and this was although the man had spoken only casually and did not mean any ridicule or denial. But since it was apparently a contradiction of the apostolic Sunnah, Qazi Abu Yusuf dealt with him like manner.

Permission has not been given to keep relations and contacts with people who sneer at the Holy Prophet's  methods. Accordingly, it has been said: -

Then, further, the faith of such believers who do not keep friendship with Allah and His Apostle's  opponents has been much praised and they have been promised great rewards, prosperity and divine pleasure.

Hence we should also have hatred for such people who hate Allah's religion and the methods brought by the Holy Prophet  and his auspicious Sunnahs, although such people be our fathers, brethren, sons, or of our family or clan.

Along with hatred for them we should also offer our exemption before Allah and His Apostle that "O Allah! We are disgusted with their action and so exempt us from that end and consequence which they are heading!”
 
For, as already stated earlier, very great and severe punishments and disgrace in the world and the hereafter have been ordained for Allah's and His Apostle's opponents, as Allah Most High has said: -

It is because they are totally devoid of faith, for had they had faith, they would have certainly cherished love for the Apostle  and when they had had love for him they would not have made fun of his Sunnahs but would have loved them, as the Holy Prophet  has himself said: -

In contrast to this, when one is not in love with the Sunnah, it means that one does not love the Holy Apostle  and thus one's faith is not perfect.