Is it permissible to abandon two harmful friends without abandoning the rest of one's friends?

Ridicule of a Muslim is a major sin, and Allah has forbidden it, saying: "O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them." This is because the one being ridiculed may be of greater stature with Allah than the ridiculer. It is advised to increase admonition to those who ridicule, and if they do not respond, it is permissible to abandon them with a "beautiful abandonment," which means ceasing interaction without harshness or harm, especially if their continued association causes distress.