How beautiful it is to extend your hand to shake hands with a hand of your own blood! How tender it is for your heart to hear the beating of hearts of your own blood and flesh! It is maintaining kinship ties, the fragrance of kind souls, and the tranquility of spirits that never separate, no matter how far apart they are, or how much time passes. It is the language of love that needs no interpreter, and the call of innate nature that never loses its way to a sound heart.
Maintaining kinship ties in Islam is not merely a moral luxury or an emotional calling; rather, it is a divine command, a prophetic command, and a daily practice that reflects the sincerity of faith. God Almighty says:
“And those who maintain that which God has commanded to be maintained” [Al-Ra’d: 21].
The Messenger of Mercy (peace and blessings be upon him) did not recommend anything after faith in God as much as he recommended maintaining kinship ties. He said: “Whoever would like his provision to be expanded and his life to be prolonged, let him maintain kinship ties.” [Bukhari] These are not just visits or courteous words; rather, they purify hearts, enhance the nobility of souls, and reflect purity.
Truly, how beautiful are the homes perfumed by maintaining kinship ties, and how happy are the hearts that never sever ties with their families! Maintaining kinship ties increases affection, extinguishes the flames of estrangement, and restores life to the roots of kinship. It is a path to Paradise; indeed, it is a Paradise in this world before the Hereafter, where God blesses provision, prolongs life, and cleanses sins.
When life gets difficult, people grow cold, and doors close, maintaining kinship ties remains a refuge from loneliness and a bridge that connects us with those who know us, even with our faults, and love us despite them, with those who know our early life and connect with us through childhood memories and memories of the good old days.
How sad are the hearts that have severed their ties of kinship and rejected the blood that runs through their veins! How cruel it is for a brother to abandon his brother, or for a son to turn away from an uncle or maternal uncle! This estrangement is not just a disagreement; it is a rift in the soul and estrangement at a time when we most need warmth.
The Prophet ﷺ warned of the consequences of severing ties of kinship, saying:
“No one who severs ties of kinship will enter Paradise” [Narrated by Muslim].
After this threat, does the heart dare to distance itself? Is there anything worth destroying a bond that God has commanded us to maintain?
Indeed, times have changed, homes have grown distant, and the world has become busy with its hustle and bustle, but maintaining ties of kinship is still possible. A short phone call, a tender message, a light visit, a sincere invitation—these are all ways to preserve friendship and keep hearts warm. There is no excuse for someone who has severed ties of kinship, no matter how short their steps. Let them express their heart, even if it is through a phone or a screen.
In conclusion, maintaining family ties is not merely a social custom or a burden we reluctantly fulfill. Rather, it is a humane and faith-based message. It is the blessing of life, the spirit of life, and a standard of morality. Whoever maintains family ties, God will maintain them, and whoever severs them, God will sever them. Would we accept being cut off from the mercy of the Most Merciful? Let us renew the covenant with the blood that runs through us, restore warmth to our family ties, and make maintaining family ties a key to God’s satisfaction and peace of mind.
