It is permissible for a person to keep a distance from those who waste his time with other than the obedience of Allaah; rather, he should keep a distance from them and avoid mixing with them. We do not mean by this to completely desert people but to avoid mixing if it involves wasting time without any benefit, especially after ‘Ishaa' prayer, as the Prophet disliked sleeping before ‘Ishaa' and talking after it. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Imaam An-Nawawi said: "The reason why it is disliked to talk after ‘Ishaa' is that it leads to staying up late and it is feared that the person may end up sleeping all night instead of waking up for the voluntary night prayer or mentioning Allaah, or for the Fajr prayer at the time of permissibility, or its preferred or best times. Also, staying up late makes a person too lazy during the day to perform the Islamic obligations, acts of obedience and the worldly affairs. The scholars say: It is disliked to talk after ‘Ishaa' when it is about matters of no benefit.  As for beneficial matters and matters of goodness, it is not disliked."

Indeed, life is too precious to be wasted in gossip, idle talk and matters of no benefit. Ibn Al-Qayyim said: "Excessive mixing is an incurable disease that leads to all evil; how much blessing was deprived because of mixing, and how much enmity has it sown, and how many feelings of hatred and animosity has it instilled in the hearts of men; big mountains may disappear but such feelings persist! Excessive mixing is a loss of this worldly life and the Hereafter. Rather, a servant should mix only according to need, and he should look at people according to four categories. If he mixes one category with the other, without discerning one from the other, evil will inevitably come to him.