The Levels of Maintaining Family Ties and the Ruling on Maintaining Ties with Disbelievers Among Them
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Question:
A message was sent from Germany by a listener there, saying: A Muslim from Germany has a question. He says: What are the components of maintaining family ties? And who are the people I must maintain ties with in terms of degree of kinship? Many of my relatives are people who do not believe, or who do not pray, do not fast, and do not give zakah, although they are Muslims in name only, not in reality. So, am I required to maintain ties with them, or is maintaining family ties obligatory only for truly Muslim relatives? Answer us, may Allah reward you.
Answer:
Maintaining family ties is for Muslims, and the closest of them are the parents: the mother, the father, and the grandparents, then the children, male and female, and their descendants, then the brothers and their children, then the paternal uncles and aunts and maternal uncles and aunts, then the children of the paternal uncles and aunts and the children of the maternal uncles and aunts, the closest then the next closest. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said when a questioner asked him, saying: O Messenger of Allah! Who is the most deserving of my good conduct? He said: He said: Then who? He said: He said: Then who? He said: He said: Then who? He said: Then the closest then the next closest. Muslim narrated it in his Sahih. And in the other wording, he said: O Messenger of Allah! Who is the most deserving of people of my good companionship? He said: He said: Then who? He said: He said: Then who? He said: He said: Then who? He said: And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Abi Dawud 1696Sahih (Al-Albani) And Allah says in His great Book: [Muhammad: 22-23] And He says (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Luqman: 14] And He says (Glorified is He): [Al-Isra: 23] And He says (Glorified is He): [An-Nisa: 36] the verse.
So the believer maintains ties with his relatives. It is obligatory for him to maintain ties with them according to his ability, even with kind words, even with kind words, and with money. If they are poor, he supports them if he is able, and spends on them if he is able. He must do this according to his ability, the closest then the next closest, even by telephone, even by correspondence, even if they cut ties with you, you maintain ties with them, even if they cut ties with you; because of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 5991 Narrated by al-Bukhari in the Sahih. This is the complete one who maintains ties, who maintains ties with them even if they cut ties.
As for disbelievers, maintaining ties with them is not obligatory, but if you maintain ties with them, it is good; because Allah may guide them through your means. If you have a disbelieving brother, or a disbelieving uncle, or a disbelieving cousin, and you maintain ties with him and do him good, this is one of the causes of his guidance. As for the parents, you maintain ties with them even if they are disbelievers. The parents have a great right. You do them good and maintain ties with them even if they are disbelievers, and you call them to good, as Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Luqman: 14] And He said regarding disbelievers: [Luqman: 15] So the parents have a great right, even if they are disbelievers, through maintaining ties with them, doing them good, and being gentle with them, perhaps Allah will guide them through your means.
As for others, their matter is easier. If you maintain ties with them, this is good, in the context of calling to Allah, in the context of encouraging good. And if you do not maintain ties with them, it is not obligatory upon you; because disbelief has separated you from them. It is not obligatory upon you to maintain ties with them, nor to spend on them. But if you maintain ties with them and do them good, you hope for what is with Allah, perhaps Allah will guide them. Not out of love for them, but with the intention of kinship and family ties, and perhaps Allah will guide them through that. This is good, and you are thanked and rewarded, while hating them for the sake of Allah. Yes.
A message was sent from Germany by a listener there, saying: A Muslim from Germany has a question. He says: What are the components of maintaining family ties? And who are the people I must maintain ties with in terms of degree of kinship? Many of my relatives are people who do not believe, or who do not pray, do not fast, and do not give zakah, although they are Muslims in name only, not in reality. So, am I required to maintain ties with them, or is maintaining family ties obligatory only for truly Muslim relatives? Answer us, may Allah reward you.
Answer:
Maintaining family ties is for Muslims, and the closest of them are the parents: the mother, the father, and the grandparents, then the children, male and female, and their descendants, then the brothers and their children, then the paternal uncles and aunts and maternal uncles and aunts, then the children of the paternal uncles and aunts and the children of the maternal uncles and aunts, the closest then the next closest. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said when a questioner asked him, saying: O Messenger of Allah! Who is the most deserving of my good conduct? He said:
Your mother
أمكYour mother
أمكYour mother
أمكYour father
أباكYour mother
أمكYour mother
أمكYour mother
أمكYour father.
أبوكAnyone who cuts off relationship from his nearest relatives will not enter Paradise.
لا يدخل الجنة قاطع رحمSo would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on earth and sever your [ties of] relationship?
فَهَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ أَنْ تُفْسِدُوا فِي الأَرْضِ وَتُقَطِّعُوا أَرْحَامَكُمْ Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination.
أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُAnd your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment
وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًاWorship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy
وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِِ إِحْسَانًا وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ..So the believer maintains ties with his relatives. It is obligatory for him to maintain ties with them according to his ability, even with kind words, even with kind words, and with money. If they are poor, he supports them if he is able, and spends on them if he is able. He must do this according to his ability, the closest then the next closest, even by telephone, even by correspondence, even if they cut ties with you, you maintain ties with them, even if they cut ties with you; because of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Al-Wasil is not the one who recompenses the good done to him by his relatives, but Al-Wasil is the one who keeps good relations with those relatives who had severed the bond of kinship with him.
ليس الواصل بالمكافي، ولكن الواصل الذي إذا قطعت رحمه وصلهاAs for disbelievers, maintaining ties with them is not obligatory, but if you maintain ties with them, it is good; because Allah may guide them through your means. If you have a disbelieving brother, or a disbelieving uncle, or a disbelieving cousin, and you maintain ties with him and do him good, this is one of the causes of his guidance. As for the parents, you maintain ties with them even if they are disbelievers. The parents have a great right. You do them good and maintain ties with them even if they are disbelievers, and you call them to good, as Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:
Be grateful to Me and to your parents
أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَbut accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness
وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًاAs for others, their matter is easier. If you maintain ties with them, this is good, in the context of calling to Allah, in the context of encouraging good. And if you do not maintain ties with them, it is not obligatory upon you; because disbelief has separated you from them. It is not obligatory upon you to maintain ties with them, nor to spend on them. But if you maintain ties with them and do them good, you hope for what is with Allah, perhaps Allah will guide them. Not out of love for them, but with the intention of kinship and family ties, and perhaps Allah will guide them through that. This is good, and you are thanked and rewarded, while hating them for the sake of Allah. Yes.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.