Merits of Maintaining Kinship Ties

A man complained to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about his relatives and kins and how he treats them kindly, but they treat him in the opposite manner. He maintains kinship ties with them and visits them, but they sever ties with him. He shows them kindness and loyalty, but they treat him unfairly and roughly. He tolerates and pardons them, but they are intolerant towards him, and this shows in their bad words and actions. Should he continue maintaining kinship ties with them despite what is mentioned? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: If the case is the way you mentioned, then you disgrace and degrade them before their own selves as if you are feeding them hot ashes, given your abundant kindness and their hideous way of acting. You will continue to have a supporter against them from Allah that wards off their harm as long as you continue to be kind to them as mentioned and as long as they keep treating you badly.

1. Reciprocating offense with kindness is most likely expected to make the offender return to the truth, as Allah Almighty says: {Repel evil with what is good; the one whom you have enmity with will become as if he were a close friend.}
2. Obeying Allah's command, even if one is subject to harm, is a cause for the believer to receive support from Allah.
3. Severing kinship ties entails pain and torment in this world as well as guilt and recompense in the Hereafter.
4. A Muslim should seek reward from Allah for his righteous deeds and should not stop his kind habit because of people's abuse and their severing ties with him.
5. The upholder of kinship ties is not the one who maintains ties with those who maintain ties with him; rather, the true upholder of kinship ties is the one who maintains ties with those who sever ties with him.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 1982) (2558). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (9/ 220). بهجة الناظرين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 698). نزهة المتقين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 539). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (3/ 188).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that he who withholds from his relatives the rights due to them or harms them and does wrong to them is worthy of not entering Paradise.

1. Severing the ties of kinship is a major sin.
2. Maintaining kinship ties is regarded as such in accordance with what is customary, differing with the different places, times, and people.
3. Kinship ties are maintained by visits, charity, benevolence, visiting the sick, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and so on.
4. The closer the relatives with whom ties are severed, the greater the sin.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 1981) (2556). صحيح البخاري (8/ 5) (5984). شرح النووي على مسلم (16/ 113). منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله الفوزان (10/ 90). فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام بشرح بلوغ المرام، لابن عثيمين (6/ 277).