---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Adam Mohomed Sait <[email protected]> Date: Sat, Apr 28, 2012 at 8:48 PM Subject: Cutting off Relations with Relatives is a Major Sin To: Hanaan <[email protected]>
** Patience doesn’t mean just waiting. Patience means accepting Allah’s decree with knowledge that He will only give you the best. Patience is not complaining about the way something is going; rather it is being thankful it is not any worse. Patience is acceptance, contentment, and trust in Allah SWT *Cutting off Relations with Relatives is a Major Sin* *(Friday speech delivered by Imam Mohamed Baianonie at the Islamic Center of Raleigh, NC on November 28, 1997)* *Last Friday we learned about a number of major sins that we should avoid, and if we already fell in one or more of these major sins, we should repent with sincerity now and ask Allah (S.W.T.), the all-forgiving, all-merciful for forgiveness.* *Today, I will talk about one of the major sins which is spread widely among Muslims today and which has lasted so very long till it became one of the habits which people do not realize and object it; that is* *cutting of the relations with relatives.* *This is a major sin with the consensus of all scholars because its prohibition and its warning are very emphatic, that is barring from entering Paradise on the Day of Judgment. This is clear from the* *hadith* *of the prophet (S.A.W.), which is reported by Imams Bukhari and Muslim,* *"One will not enter paradise if he/she cuts off relations with relatives."* *Which relatives whom it is not allowed to cut off relations with?* *They are the relatives whom you have the kith and kin relations with, whether they are the immediate relatives like the parents, brothers, sisters, uncles from the mother and the father sides, or the non-immediate relatives like cousins. This applies to both a Muslim or non-Muslim relative.* *How is cutting off relations with them prohibited?* *Cutting off relations with relatives is of various degrees of severity; the worst kind is to cut off relations with them completely (not even greetings or a single word with them). And a less severe degree is when you have less complete relations with them, the kind of relations where greetings are exchanged but there are no mutual visits on the appropriate occasions like* *Eid**, weddings, and no support like financial support and no mutual help to stay well guided. All this is* *haram* *(prohibited), but some are worse than others.* *What is mentioned in this subject?* *Allah (S.W.T.) says in* *Surah* *Mohammed, (Verse 22 & 23), what can be translated as, "Would you then, if you were given the authority,* *Do mischief in the land, and cut off your ties of kinship." Imam Ibn Katheer says, in his explanations of these two verses, "these verses mean that you go back to the period of ignorance (period before Islam); you spread mischief and transgress on earth, and cut relations off with relatives.... This is an emphatic, general prohibition from transgressing on earth and a special, emphatic prohibition from cuttings off relations with relatives.* *Imams Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said:* *"Allah created His creation, and when He finished it, the womb got up and caught hold of Allah whereupon Allah said, "What is the matter?" On that, it said, "I seek refuge with you from Al-Qati’ah* *(those who cut the ties of kith and kin)." On that Allah said, "Will you accept* *(be satisfied)* *if I bestow My Favors on him who keeps your ties, and withld My Favors from him who cuts your ties?" On that it said, "Yes, O my Lord!" Then Allah said, "That is for you."* *Then the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), said recite if you wish "(The two verses 21 and 23 in* *surat* *Muhammad)"* *In a* *Qudsi hadith* *reported by Imams Ahmad, Abu Dawud and At-Tirmithi,* *"Allah, the exalted, says: I am the Most Merciful, I created Ar-rahim and I cut out a name for it from my name, so whoever keeps good ties with it, I will keep good ties with him, and whoever cuts it off, I will cut him and finish him off."* *The prophet (S.A.W.) also said reported by Imams Ahmad, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmithi, and Ibn Majah,* *"There is no sin that Allah (S.W.T.) more readily inflicts the punishment for in this life, in addition to what Allah (S.W.T.) keeps as punishment for the sinner in the Hereafter, than the sin of transgression and cutting off relations with relatives."* *What do you do if you have relatives with whom you keep good relations, but they cut off all relations with you?* *Would you cut them of?* *No, listen to the* *hadith* *of the prophet (S.A.W.) that was reported by Imams Ahmad and (Muslim in similar words.) when a man came to him and said, O messenger of Allah, I have relatives with whom I keep good relations, but they cut off relations with me, I forgive them, but they* *oppress me, I do good to them, but they treat me badly, should I get even with them (treat them as bad as they treat me)? The prophet replied:* *"No, If you do so all the relations will be cut off this way. On the contrary, be generous and keep in touch with them, you will always have support from Allah as long as you stay this way."* *Allah (S.W.T.) commands us to have good relations with our* *relatives**, so He said in* *surat* *Ar-Ra’d, (Verse 21), what can be translated as,* *"Those who join that which Allah has commanded to be joined (i.e. they are good to their relatives and do not cut the bond of kinship),"* *and also mentioned to us that this is from the duties of a Muslim toward his relatives and also He (S.W.T.) said in* *surat* *Al-Isra’, (Verse 26), what can be translated as,* *"And give to the kindred his due…"* *Imams Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said,* *"Whoever likes that his sustenance becomes abundant and his age be longer, let him keep good relations with his relatives."* *Which means Allah (S.W.T.) will bless them.* *Imams Bukhari and Muslim also reported that a Bedouin asked the prophet (S.A.W.), " O messenger of Allah tell me something that gets me closer to Paradise and gets me further away from Hell Fire. The prophet (S.A.W.) said, * *"Submit to Allah only and do not take partners with Him, establish prayers, and pay zakah, and establish good relations with your relatives."* *When the Bedouin left, the prophet (S.A.W.) said,* *"If he holds onto what I told him, he will enter Paradise."* *Imams Bukhari and Muslim also reported that the prophet (S.A.W.) said,* *"Al-rahim is hung to the throne of Allah (Al-A’rsh) saying: Whoever connects me, Allah will connect him, and whoever cuts me off, Allah will cut him off."* *After we heard all these verses, and many* *ahadith**, we ought to take a serious look into our lives; if we find ourselves in this major sin of cutting off relations with our relatives, then we should repent sincerely. This repentance should stop us from falling into this sin, and regret for what we have done, and be determined not to fall in this sin again. We should repent now without delay, before it is too late because we do not know when death will come.* *********************************************************** Kindness to Relatives is Part of Our Belief What a terrible life to live for yourself only! What a terrible behavior to care only about your goals, worry only about your problems, know only those who benefit you, and avoid those whom you have no materialistic advantage in befriending! Islam is very adamant that every Muslim learns to care about others and their rights. The people that one should take care of the most, after one’s parents, are the relatives. In the hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is saying: “Those of you who believe in God and the hereafter should be kind to their relatives.” (Al-Bukhari) and “Those of you who would like to have more providence and longer lives should be kind to their relatives.”(Al-Bukhari & Muslim) Abu Dharr Al-Ghafari, one of the Prophet’s companions, narrated the following words of wisdom: “My close friend, peace be upon him, advised me to do good deeds. He advised me not to look to those who are wealthier than me and to look to those who are poorer than me. He advised me to love the poor and be close to them. He advised me to be kind to my relatives even if they are not kind to me. He advised me to disregard people’s blame to me when I do something for the sake of God. He advised me to say the truth even if it is bitter. And he advised me to repeat, ‘there is no power and no strength except by God,’ because it is a treasure from paradise.” Relatives are not the same. Some of them are immoral and evil and some are friendly, kind and nice. Abu Hurayrah said: “A man said: ‘O Messenger of God! I have relatives whom I am kind to, but they are mean to me. I treat them good but they treat me terrible. I forgive them but they always blame me.’ The Prophet said: ‘If what you are saying is true, then as if they are swallowing hot carbon dust. God is taking your side as long as you are treating them good.’’ (Muslim) Arabs used to be proud about bearing with their evil relatives, never hating them, and always helping them, regardless of what they do -- Dr Benil Hafeeq K.P Consultant Nephrologist MIMS and IQRAA Hospital Calicut * * *“Don’t know the truth by men. Rather, know the truth and you will know its adherents"* -- Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (evil) with what is better; then the enmity between him and you will become as if it were your friend and intimate! Visit: sultan.org Subscribe: [email protected] Post to group: [email protected]
