Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Man, the most honorable being that Allah (swt) has created on earth, is a social being. As soon as he is born, he is born in need of the attention and affection of his parents. As he grows up and gets older, it becomes a part of a belonging that extends from close relatives to distant relatives. A development of a healthy personality depends on the strong relations established with relatives. Individuals who are distant from their relatives suffer from loneliness due to the weakening of their social bases and lose their resistance in the face of life’s difficulties. Due to these and similar reasons, Islam attaches great importance to the issue of family.

 Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Silat al Rahim means keeping the ties of kinship alive, visiting each other and establishing good relations. Maintaining the ties of kinship formed through blood and marriage, maintaining relations with relatives, observing their rights, visiting them, giving kindness and helping is an important moral obligation that Allah (swt) has placed on every Muslim. Allah (swt) says, “Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side,1 the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful.”[1]

Dear Jama’ah!

There are many hadiths of our Prophet (saw) on this important issue. As a matter of fact, Rasulullah (saw) stated the relationship with relatives as a condition for attaining Allah’s approval and attaining Paradise, and said “He who cuts off his relations with relatives will not enter Paradise.”[2] “Whoever takes care of his relative, Allah will also take care of him.”[3] He declared that taking care of relatives would be helpful in gaining the favor of Allah (swt). Also, “”Whoever wishes to increase his sustenance or delay his death, let him keep in touch with his relatives!”[4] In his words, he gave the good news that preserving kinship ties will contribute to the increase of our sustenance and our longevity.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Islam does not see kinship relations as separate and independent from relations with Allah (swt). In a hadith-i Qudsi, it is reported that Almighty Allah (swt) said: “I am Rahman. I have derived the word rahm (kinship ties) as a name from My names. I will keep good relation with the one who will keep good relation with you, and sever the relation with him who will sever the relation with you.”[5] We should not ignore this warning of Allah (swt). In countries where we live as the minority, it is of great importance to maintain our contact with our relatives. We should share their trouble, rush to the aid of those in distress, and share in their joys and sorrows. When we go on holiday to our hometowns, we should not be content with staying at a hotel and visiting relatives. Along with these, we should visit family members, strengthen ties of kinship, and bring our children together with them.

May Allah (swt) make us one of his servants who preserve their ties of kinship and gain Allah’s approval. Ameen!

[1] Surah An-Nisa, 4:36

[2] Müslim, Birr, 19; Buhârî, Edeb, 11

[3] Buhârî, Edeb, 13

[4] Müslim, Birr, 20; Buhârî, Edeb, 12

[5] Ebû Dâvûd, Zekât, 45

Khutba: Silat al Rahim