Kulayb ibn Manfa'a reported that his grandfather asked, "Messenger of
Allah, towards whom should I be dutiful?" He replied, "Your mother, your
father, your sister and your brother. Then your mawla (client) has the next
right against you and then your relatives who are connected."
Abu Hurayra said, "When the following ayat was revealed ('Warn
your near relatives' (26:214)), the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, stood up and called out, saying, 'Banu Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy!
Save yourselves from the Fire! Banu 'Abdu Manaf! Save yourselves from the
Fire! Banu Hashim! Save yourselves from the Fire! Banu 'Abdu'l-Muttalib!
Save yourselves from the Fire! Fatima, daughter of Muhammad! Save yourselves
from the Fire! I do not have anything for you in respect to Allah except
for the fact that you have ties of kinship.'"
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari told him that a bedouin came to the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was travelling. He asked, "Tell
me what will bring me near to the Garden and keep me far from the Fire."
He replied, "Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him, perform
the prayer, pay zakat, and maintain ties of kinship."
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, said, "Allah Almighty created creation. When He had
finished it, ties of kinship rose up. Allah said, 'Stop!' They said, 'This
is the place for anyone seeking refuge with You from being cut off' Allah
said, 'Are you not content that I should maintain connections with the one
who maintains connection with you and I should cut off the one who cuts you
off?' It replied, 'Yes indeed, my Lord.' He said, 'You have that.'"
Ibn 'Abbas spoke about the ayat, "Give your relatives their
due, and the very poor and travellers" (17:26), and said, "He
begins by commanding the most pressing of the obligatory dues and He directs
us to the best action if we have any money. He says: 'Give your relatives
their due, and the very poor and travellers.' He also teaches us what we
can say if we have nothing. He says, 'But if you do turn away from them,
seeking the mercy you hope for from your Lord, then speak to them with words
that bring them ease' (17:28) in the form of an excellent promise. Things
are as they are, but they might change if Allah wills. 'Do not keep your
hand chained to your neck' and not give anything, 'but do not extend
it either to its full extent' and give all you have, 'so that you
sit there blamed' as those who come to you later and find you have nothing
will blame you, 'and destitute.' (17:29)" He said, "The person to
whom you have given everything has made you destitute."
Abu Hurayra said, "A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, and said, 'Messenger of Allah! I have relatives with whom
I maintain ties while they cut me off. I am good to them while they are bad
to me. They behave foolishly towards me while I am forbearing towards them.'
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'If things are as you said, it is as if you were putting
hot ashes on them and you will not lack a supporter against them from Allah
as long as you continue to do that.'"
'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn 'Awf heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, say, "Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, said, 'I
am the Merciful (ar-Rahman). I have created ties of kinship and derives
a name for it from My Name. If anyone maintains ties of kinship, I maintain
connection with him, and I shall cut off anyone who cuts them off.'"
Abu'l-'Anbas said, "I visited 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr at al-Waht (some land
of his in Ta'if). He said, 'The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, pointed his finger towards us and said, "Kinship (rahim) us
derived from the All-Merciful (Rahman). When someone maintains the
connections of ties of kinship, they maintain connection with him. If someone
cuts them off, they cut him off. They will have an unfettered, eloquent tongue
on the Day of Rising."'"
'A'isha reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, "Kinship (rahim) is derived from Allah. If anyone maintains
ties of kinship Allah maintains ties with him. If anyone cuts them off, Allah
cuts him off."
Anas ibn Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who wants to have his provision expanded
and his term of life prolonged should maintain ties of kinship."
Abu Hurayra heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, say, "Anyone who wants to have his provision expanded and
his term of life lengthened should maintain ties of kinship."
Ibn 'Umar said, "If someone fears his Lord and maintains ties of kinship,
his term of life will be prolonged, he will have abundant wealth and his
people will love him."
Ibn 'Umar said, "Whoever has taqwa of his Lord and maintains ties of kinship, his
term of life will be prolonged, his wealth will be abundant, and his family
will love him."
Being dutiful to the closest relative and then the next
It is reported that al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib heard the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Allah enjoins you to be dutiful
to your mothers. Then He enjoins you to be dutiful to your mothers. Then
He enjoins you to be dutiful to your fathers. Then He enjoins you to be dutiful
to your next closest relative and then to your next closest relative."
Being dutiful to the closest relative and then the next
Abu Ayyub Sulayman, the mawla of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, said, "Abu Hurayra
came to us on a Thursday evening, the night before Jumu'a. He said, 'Every
individual who severs ties of kinship is constricted when he leaves us. No
one left until he had said that three times. Then a young man went to one
of his paternal aunts with whom he had severed ties two years previously.
He went to her and she asked him, 'Nephew! What has brought you?' He replied,
'I heard Abu Hurayra say such-and-such.' She said, 'Go back to him and ask
him why he said that.' Abu Hurayra said, 'I heard the Prophet, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, say, "The actions of the children of Adam
are presented before Allah Almighty on Thursday evening, the night before
Jumu'a. He does not accept the actions of someone who has severed ties of
kinship."'"
Being dutiful to the closest relative and then the next
Ibn 'Umar said, "Nothing that a man spends on himself and his family,
anticipating a reward from Allah, will fail to be rewarded by Allah Almighty.
He should begin with those whose support is his responsibility. If there
is something left over, he should spend it on his next nearest relative and
then the next nearest. If there is still something left over, he can give
it away."
Mercy will not descend on people when there is someone among
'Abdullah ibn 'Awfa reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, "Mercy does not descend on a people when there is
someone among them who severs ties of kinship."
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُوسَى قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ أَبُو إِدَامٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ أَبِي أَوْفَى يَقُولُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ إِنَّ الرَّحْمَةَ لاَ تَنْزِلُ عَلَى قَوْمٍ فِيهِمْ قَاطِعُ رَحِمٍ
Hadith 64
Sahih — Al-Albani
The wrong action of someone who severs ties of kinship
Jubayr ibn Mu'tim reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "The one who severs ties of kinship
will not enter the Garden."
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَقِيلٌ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ مُطْعِمٍ أَنَّ جُبَيْرَ بْنَ مُطْعِمٍ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ قَاطِعُ رَحِمٍ
Hadith 65
Hasan — Al-Albani
The wrong action of someone who severs ties of kinship
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, said, "Ties of kinship (rahim) is derived from
the All-Merciful (ar-Rahman). They say. 'My Lord! I have been wronged!
My Lord! I have been cut off! My Lord! I have! I have!' Allah answers
them, 'Are you not content that I cut off the one who cuts you off and I
maintain connections with the one who maintains connections with you?'"
The wrong action of someone who severs ties of kinship
Sa'id ibn Sam'an heard Abu Hurayra seeking refuge from the power of children
and fools. Sa'id said, "Ibn Hasana al-Juhani told me that he asked Abu Hurayra,
'What is the token of that?' He replied, 'That he severs ties of kinship,
obeys someone who is in error, and disobeys the correct guide.'"