A Muslim’s kindness, respect, and good treatment are not limited just to his parents, spouse, and children, but extend to his relatives, all of whom he should treat well. In the Qur’an, the word used is arhaam (literally wombs), which refers to relatives to whom a person is linked by ties of blood, whether they are his heirs or not.
Islam has recognized the ties of kinship in an unparalleled in other religions or ism; it encourages Muslims to uphold the ties of kinship and condemns the one who breaks this tie.
There is no greater proof of the emphasis placed by Islam on the ties of kinship than the vivid picture painted by the Prophet (SAW), who described kinship (rahm) as standing in the vast arena of creation and seeking refuge with Allah from being cut off: Allah answers its prayer, taking care of those who maintain the ties of kinship, and cutting off those who cut off these ties. This is seen in the saheeh hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (RA) who said that the Prophet (SAW) said, “Allah created the universe, and when He had finished, kinship (rahm) stood up and said, ‘This is the standing up of one who seeks Your protection from being cut off.’ Allah said, ‘Yes, would it please you if I were to take care of those who take care of you and cut off those who cut off?’ It said, ‘Of course.’ Allah said, ‘Then your prayer is granted.’ Then the Prophet (SAW) said,’ Recite, if you wish: ‘Then, is it to be expected of you, if you were put in authority, that you will do mischief, in the land, and break your ties of kith and kin? Such are the men whom Allah has cursed for He has made them deaf and blinded their sight.’” {Qur’an 47: 22-23} (Bukhari and Muslim)
Many verses of the Qur’an reiterate and affirm the position of arhaam in Islam, encouraging people to uphold the ties of kinship and instilling a strong sense of the importance of recognizing kinship rights avoiding neglect of those rights, and warning against abuse of them. One of these verses is: “Fear Allah, through whom you demand your mutual rights, and reverence the wombs that bore you.” (Qur’an: 1)
This verse commands man to fear Allah first and foremost, then places respect for arhaam second to that taqwa to emphasize its importance.
For the true Muslim, the fact that rahm is often mentioned in conjunction with belief in Allah and good treatment of parents is enough to confirm its status and importance. Allah said: “Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and that you be kind to parents.” (Qur’an 17: 23). Allah said further: “And render to the kindred their due rights, as also to those in want, and the wayfarer: but squander not your wealth in the manner of a spendthrift.” (Qur’an: 17: 26)
Hence kind treatment of relatives comes one degree below to the kind treatment of parents on the scale of human relationships as defined by the Qur’an; from there, kindness and respect extend to encompass all those needy members of the greater human family. This suits human nature, which is more inclined to start with kind treatment of those who are closer; it is also in harmony with the overall Islamic system of social organization and mutual responsibility which starts with the family and then is readily extended first to relatives and then to society at large, in a spirit of mercy and friendship which makes life more pleasant and beautiful for mankind.
Upholding the ties of kinship is one of the major principles of Islam, one of the fundamentals that this religion has promoted from the first day the Prophet (SAW) began to preach his message. It is one of the most characteristic features of Islamic law. This is reflected in the lengthy conversation of Abu Sufyan with Hercules. When the emperor asked Abu Sufyan, “What does your Prophet order you to do?” He answered, “He tells us: ‘Worship Allah alone and do not associate anything with Him. Give up the religion of your forefathers’, He tells us to pray, to give charity, to be chaste, and to uphold the ties of kinship.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
(To be continued)
by Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi
