How is maintaining family ties achieved: by visitation only, or by giving gifts?

The questioner : ...family ties; meaning, those relatives whom it is obligatory for a person to maintain ties with. What is the method of maintaining these ties? Is it by visitation—say, for example—only? Or by giving gifts?

The Shaykh : The issue cannot be defined with a specific material limit; rather, the matter is left to custom. If a person visits a relative, let us suppose, once a month or once every two months, they will not be blamed, nor will they be considered someone who has cut off family ties; this is sufficient. There is no doubt that the one who visits them only once a month or once every two months differs from another who makes the same visit but goes further by supporting them and honoring them; this is better than that. And so on, the issue has no fixed limits, but it returns to the general custom among people. If he does not visit them in a month or two months, does not support them, does not honor them, and does not give them even a penny, there is no doubt that he is one who has cut off family ties.

The questioner : Meaning, all relatives from...

The Shaykh : No, all relatives from the father’s side.

The questioner : From the father’s side.

The Shaykh: Yes.