I loved a recent tweet from Taariq Ismail, which I’ve cut and paste here. He begins:
In Arabic, there are 12 levels of friendship. Most of our ‘friends’ are level 5 or below, and many of us don’t have a single level 12 friend
Here are the levels:
- Zameel – someone you have a nodding acquaintance with
- Jalees – someone you’re comfortable sitting with for a period of time
- Sameer – you have good conversation with them
- Nadeem – a drinking companion (just tea) that you might call when you’re free
- Sahib – someone who’s concerned for your wellbeing
- Rafeeq – someone you can depend upon. You’d probably go on holiday with them
- Sadeeq – a true friend, someone who doesn’t befriend you for an ulterior motive
- Khaleel – an intimate friend, someone whose presence makes you happy
- Anees – someone with whom you’re really comfortable and familiar
- Najiyy – a confidant, someone you trust deeply
- Safiyy – your best friend, someone you’ve chosen over other friends
- Qareen – someone who’s inseparable from you. You know how they think (and vice versa)
It has me thinking of the level my friendships are at. And you?