Allah says in the Quran: And worship
Allah and ascribe no partners to Him and do good to parents,
relatives, orphans, the needy, the related neighbour, the
distant neighbour, the fellow traveller, the wayfarer and the
slaves whom your right hand possess. Lo! Allah loves not such
who are proud and boastful. (4-36).
Dear Muslims: Listen carefully to the
owner of the noblest character, the kindest heart and the
message of mercy who says in a brief but great tradition:
Kindness to relations and charity cause homes to flourish and
increase the life spans.
Listen also to what the Messenger (Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam) says: Listen to it with your hearts' ears
rather than your senses. For when hearts listen they
comprehend, but when ears listen while hearts are neglectful
then there is no use of hearing anything.
On the authority of Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaahu
Anhu) who said the Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) said: Allah the Most High created the creation. When
He finished, kinship emerged and said: This is the position of
one who seeks refuge in You from boycotting. Allah said: Will
you be satisfied if I am close to him who is kind to you and I
boycott him who boycotts you. It said: Yes I will: He replied:
This is for you. The Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)
then said recite if you like: Would you then, if you were
given sovereignty, work corruption in the land and cut your
ties of kinship? Such are they whom Allah curses so that he
deafens them and makes blind their eyes. (47:22-23). Will they
not contemplate the Quran or do hearts have their locks on.
(47: 24)
Dear Muslims: This is a serious issue
and an important matter. The danger is pending so we have to
wake up from our slumber. When Allah finished creating heaven
and earth, do you know the first statement He made to His
creation? Do you know the first dialogue that took place
between Allah and His creation? It was between Allah and
kinship ties. Kinship is actually two types: a general kinship
and a special kinship.
As for the general kinship it
encompasses every person who shares with you in saying La
illaaha illa Allah Muhammad Rassoolullah (i.e. there is no
other God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God).
What is your duty and your rights towards such person? There
are six things which have to be observed, namely:
1- That you offer salutations of
peace whenever you encounter your brother or sister.
2- That you visit him when he is
sick.
3- That you bless him when he
sneezes.
4- That you follow his funeral when
he dies.
5- That you give him sincere advice
when he asks you for it.
6- And that you accept his
invitation when he invites you. These are the general rights
that bind you with everyone who says the testimony of faith.
Dear Muslims: Now I move with you to
the special kinship and this is our topic today God willing.
By special kinship we mean the relatives whom the Prophet
classified as follows: First of all one's mother, for indeed
when a mother dies a caller from heaven announces: O son of
Adam! She has passed away for whose sake we used to honor you.
So now do good so that we honor you for it.
The mother then is the first name on
the list of relatives. That is why a man once asked: O
Messenger of Allah, my mother reached old age and I serve her.
Did I pay back her right? The Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam) said: Whatever good you do to her, you will
never pay back her right. The man again said: How is this O
Messenger of Allah? He said: For she used to serve you as a
little one and she used to wish you long life, as for you, you
serve her as an old, woman and you wish her death. There is a
world of difference between him who wishes long life and who
desires death.
On the authority of Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaahu
Anhu) who said the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said:
He will be the lowest of the low, then the lowest of the low,
who witnesses his parents at their old age either one of them
or both and does not enter Paradise. Reported by Muslim.
Thus your mother should top the list
then your father, then your sister, then your brother, then
your aunt, then your uncle on your father's side, then your
mother's side; then after that the closer and the closer
relatives.
Dear Muslims: What are the rights of
the special kinship? They have the same rights of the general
kinship but added to them is that their expenses are your
obligation if they need your financial help. That is why a man
came to the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and said: O
Messenger of Allah! This son of mine was poor while I was
rich, he was weak when I was strong and I used to spend on him
from my money. Then when I became poor, he, however, refused
me his money. Hearing this the honorable Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam) called that son and said: O youth, there is
no stone nor land but weeps for the affair of your father.
Son! Spend on your father for you and your wealth belong to
your father.
Also Anas (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reported
that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)
said: Whoever likes expansion in his provision and long life,
let him do good to his kinship. (Agreed Upon).
Now my dear Muslims! Listen to what
our beloved Prophet said after Alqama was buried: He said: O
mankind! Whoever prefers his wife over his mother, Allah will
not accept from him neither obligatory nor voluntary actions.
As a matter a fact the special kinship
is hanging from the throne of the Beneficent calling: Whoever
does good to me Allah will do good to him and whoever cuts me
Allah will cut him off.
Dear Muslims: Today is a precious day.
It is not a day of visits to the dead ones but a day for doing
good to the living ones; a day of exchanging visits, mutual
forgiveness, and tolerance. Thus if there is any dispute or
boycotting between you and another person, be the first one to
do good for the sake of Allah and his messenger, so do good to
your kinship, and spread peace among yourselves.
Allah says in the Quran: And those who
do what Allah enjoined as good. "And we have recommended to
man kindness to his parents. Here Allah commands us to worship
Him and not ascribe any partners to him. He joined this
command with his command of kindness to parents and to do good
to them and to be kind to them at their old age one or both of
them; we should avoid all that embarrasses them or is detested
by them of deeds or words. We should treat them with the
noblest behaviour and we should say all that is nice and
beautiful to them.
This is based on what Allah says: "And
your Lord decreed that you worship none but Him, and enjoins
kindness to parents. When either or both of them attain with
you old age express not a breath of resentment to them and
never repulse them, but say good speech to them. (17:23)
Part of the beloved Prophet's
traditions concerning the obligation of this obedience and
commitment is what Abdullah ibn Masoud (Radhiallaahu Anhu)
says: I asked the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam): which
is the dearest deed in sight of God? He said: Performing
prayer on time: I said: then which? He said to be kind to
parents. I then asked then which? He replied: then fighting in
the way of God. (agreed upon)
On the authority of Abu
Hurairah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) who said: The Messenger of God (Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam) said: whoever believes in God and the last
day let him be generous to his guests and whoever believes in
God and the Last Day, let him do good to his kins, and whoever
believes in God and the Last Day let him say what is good or
be silent. (Agreed upon).
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