Explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
These hadiths explain the virtue of maintaining the ties of kinship, and that the one who maintains them is not the one who reciprocates by maintaining ties with his relatives when they maintain ties with him, but the one who maintains them when his kinship is severed. Thus, his maintenance of ties is for the sake of Allah, not as a reward for the servants of Allah, nor in order to gain praise from people. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: : This refers to the one who maintains ties with his relatives when they maintain ties with him as a reward for them, whereas the true one who maintains ties is the one who maintains them when his kinship is severed.
Likewise, in these hadiths, the kinship is suspended from the Throne, saying:Sahih Muslim 2555 : This may be understood as a statement or as a supplication, meaning that the kinship may be reporting this or supplicating to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with this. In any case, it is evidence of the great status of the kinship and its maintenance, and that it is beneath the Throne, either supplicating with this supplication or reporting with this statement.
Then the author mentioned the hadith of the man who was kind to his relatives, yet they were unkind to him, and he maintained ties with them, yet they severed ties with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:: This means as you say, : Al-mal: is hot ash, and tasfahum: means you put it in their mouths. The meaning is: You are as if you are forcing them to swallow this hot ash as a punishment for them.
: This means support against them, Sahih Muslim 2558a : That you maintain ties with them while they sever ties with you.
All these hadiths and similar ones indicate that it is obligatory for a person to maintain the ties of his kinship, his relatives, to the extent of his ability, and to the extent established by custom, and to beware of severing the ties of kinship. And success is from Allah.
These hadiths explain the virtue of maintaining the ties of kinship, and that the one who maintains them is not the one who reciprocates by maintaining ties with his relatives when they maintain ties with him, but the one who maintains them when his kinship is severed. Thus, his maintenance of ties is for the sake of Allah, not as a reward for the servants of Allah, nor in order to gain praise from people. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
The one who maintains ties is not the one who reciprocates
ليس الواصل بالمكافئLikewise, in these hadiths, the kinship is suspended from the Throne, saying:
He who unites me Allah would unite him and he who severed me Allah would sever him
من وصلني، وصله الله ، ومن قطعني، قطعه اللهThen the author mentioned the hadith of the man who was kind to his relatives, yet they were unkind to him, and he maintained ties with them, yet they severed ties with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
If you are
إن كنتَit is as if you are feeding them molten lead
فكأنما تسفهم الملَand you will not cease to have from Allah a support against them
ولا يزال لك من الله عليهم ظهيرso long as you adhere to this (path of righteousness)
ما دمت على ذلكAll these hadiths and similar ones indicate that it is obligatory for a person to maintain the ties of his kinship, his relatives, to the extent of his ability, and to the extent established by custom, and to beware of severing the ties of kinship. And success is from Allah.