The Criterion for Kinship Whom One Is Obligated to Maintain Ties With

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, this questioner asks: What is the criterion for the relatives whom Allah has made it obligatory for us to maintain ties with? Are they those with whom we meet at the fourth or fifth degree of kinship, for example, or the entire tribe?

Answer:
Kinship refers to the relatives, and relatives are those with whom you are connected by blood relation through the father or through the mother. Through the father, this includes the grandfathers and grandmothers on the father’s side, the uncles and aunts, the brothers and sisters, the children of the brothers, the children of the sisters, and the sons of the uncles. All of these are on the father’s side. As for the mother’s side, it includes the mother’s fathers and mothers, who are the grandfathers and grandmothers on the mother’s side, as well as the maternal uncles and aunts, the mother’s brothers and sisters, the mother’s uncles and aunts. All of them are among your relatives. You begin with the closest, then the next closest, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided, starting with the closest, then the next closest, according to your ability and your capacity.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you