Collected by Imam Al-Bukhari Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismail
With commentary based on the checking, editing, rulings, and comments of:
Imam Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee
Shaykh Husayn ‘Awdah al-‘Awaayisha
Shaykh Sameer bin Ameen az-Zuhayree
Dr. Muhammad Luqman as-Salafee
Chapter 17:
The Excellence of Maintaining Family Ties
1. Abu Hurayra said:
“A man came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, I have relatives with whom I maintain connections while they cut me off. I am good to them while they are bad to me. They behave towards me like fools while I am forbearing towards them.’ The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ‘If things are as you have said, it is as if you were putting hot ashes on them and you will not lack a supporter against them from Allah as long as you continue to do that.’” (Authentic)
Commentary:
The hadeeth teaches that one should always evaluate his conduct with his kith and kin and make appropriate amends. In some cases one would need to endure negative dispositions from them and not reply to evil with its kind. The narration shows that such endurance earns one support from Allah the Most High.
2. ‘Abdu’r-Rahman bin ‘Awf said:
“The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ‘Allah the Mighty and Exalted, said, “I am the Merciful (Rahman). I have created ties of kinship (rahim) and derived a name for it from My name. Whoever maintains ties of kinship, I maintain ties with him and I shall cut off from Me whoever cuts them off.”’” (Authentic)
3. Abu l-‘Anbas said, I visited ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr at Waht - that is, his landed property at Taif - and he said:
“The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم pointed his finger towards us and said ‘The (root and word of) rahim, (the kin), is derived from the word Rahman (the Merciful). Whoever maintains the connection of ties of kinship, Allah will maintain ties with him. Whoever cuts them off, Allah will cut him off. The kin will have a free and eloquent tongue on the Day of Rising.’” (Authentic)
4. ‘A’isha, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
“The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, ‘The word rahim (kin), is derived from Allah (Rahman, Merciful). Whoever maintains the ties of kinship, Allah will maintain ties with him. Whoever cuts them off, Allah cuts him off.’” (Authentic)
Commentary:
These narrations show the loftiness of the ties of kinship, the excellence of maintaining it and the menace of breaking it.