And the believers, men and women, are friends one of another. They enjoin good and forbid evil and observe Prayer and pay the Zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger. It is these on whom Allah will have mercy. Surely, Allah is Mighty, Wise.
Islam, The Holy Qur’an, 9:71The supplication which gets the quickest answer is that made by one distant friend for another.
Islam, Saying of the Holy Prophet (sa), Mishkat Al Masabih, Hadith 2247
It is my belief that any individual who makes a vow of friendship with me even once, I have such regard for this vow, that irrespective of their nature and no matter what they become, I cannot sever my ties with them. If the individual cuts off their ties with me themselves, in that case I am helpless. Otherwise, my belief is that if one of my friends had collapsed in the market after consuming alcohol and there was a crowd of people around him, I would pick him up and take him away without fear of reproach by any critic…The bond of friendship is a most valuable gem. One must not waste it away easily. No matter how unpleasant a friend may be to you, one ought to forgive and forget.
Islam, Saying of the Promised Messiah (as), Malfuzat – Vol II, p. 184
Some friends play at friendship, but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.
Judaism, The Tanakh, Proverb 18:24
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Christianity, The Bible, John 15:13
Sit in the assembly of the honest; join with those that are good and virtuous; nay, seek out a noble enemy where enmity cannot be helped and have nothing to do with the wicked and the unrighteous. Even in bondage you should live with the virtuous, the erudite, and the truthful; but not for a kingdom should you stay with the wicked and the malicious.
Hinduism, Garuda Purana, 112
Friend! listen to the benefits of holy company:
Thereby is cast off impurity, vanished are millions of sins, And purified is the mind.
Sikhism, Adi Granth, Bilaval, M:5, P. 809
