Honouring ties of kinship
First sermon
Praise be to Allah, the Most Compassionate and Most Merciful. His Mercy has
encompassed all Creations. We adore Him as is befitting to His great sovereignty and
status and acknowledge His limitless compassion. I bear witness that there is no deity
but Him, having no associates. To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the
earth and whatever is within them. And He is over all things competent.
I also testify that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, the Seal of Prophets. He
was sent to elevate the status of ties of kinship, and bring glad tidings, as sublime as
the Paradise, to those who observe them. May the peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him, his family, his companions, and all those who will follow them in
righteousness till the Day of Judgment.
O Servants of Allah, I urge you and myself to be mindful of Allah the Almighty and
obey Him. Be compassionate to one another and reflect on what He says in this verse:
"O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it
its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah
, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs.
Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer." (Annisaa: 1).
Dear Muslims,
Our Lord has created humans and made them peoples and tribes to know each other
and enter into relations as He says, "O mankind, indeed We have created you from
male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one
another." (Al Hujurat: 13). This leads to the promotion of coexistence,
communication, solidarity and synergy amongst people as well as bringing them
together for further harmony, cohesion and mutual feelings of compassion. Our guide
Muhammad pbuh said, "you see the believers as regards their being merciful among
themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one
body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the
sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it."
To achieve such a cohesive and harmonious community, we are urged, first and
foremost, to observe ties of kinship. The latter is seen as a sign of Iman (faith) and a
good example of morality in Islam. the Prophet pbuh said, "he who believes in Allah
and the Last Day, let him maintain good the ties of blood relationship."
Allah-Almighty is He-has raised the status of these relations, promising good lot
those who honour them and warned those who disregard them. On the narration of
Abu Huraira that the Prophet pbuh said, "Allah created the creations, and when He
finished from His creations, Arrahim, i.e., womb said, '(O Allah) at this place I seek
refuge with You from all those who sever me (i.e. sever the ties of Kith and kin).
Allah said, 'yes, won't you be pleased that I will keep good relations with the one who
will keep good relations with you, and I will sever the relation with the one who will
sever the relations with you.' It said, 'yes, O my Lord.' Allah said, 'Then that is for
you'."
More to the point, the Prophet pbuh said, "O people, extend greetings (saying Salam
to each other), keep relations with your kin, provide food (to people) and pray at
night when people are asleep and you will enter Paradise in peace." In yet another
Hadith narrated on the authority of Abu Ayyub that a man came to the Prophet pbuh
and said, "direct me to a deed which draws me near to Paradise and takes me away
from the Fire (of Hell). Upon this he (the Prophet) said, "you worship Allah and
never associate anything with Him, establish prayer, and pay Zakat, and do good to
your kin. When he turned his back, the Messenger of Allah Pbuh remarked, "if he
adheres to what he has been ordered to do, he would enter Paradise."
Dear Servants of Allah,
Please be aware that the reward of you maintaining ties of kinship will be brought
immediately to you in your life in this world or later in your next life. This is because
it is one of the best acts of obedience as mentioned by the Prophet pbuh: "no
obedience to God fruits in quicker reward than observing bonds of kinship." It is also
a cause, by Allah's grace, for increasing one's lifespan, happiness and wealth. The
Prophet pbuh said, "whoever would like to make his life longer, expand his wealth
and avoid death in detestable manner must obey Allah and observe bonds of kinship."
Furthermore, because maintaining these relations nurtures love, they help
strengthening the unity and cohesion amongst family members. The Prophet pbuh
said, "learn enough about your lineage to facilitate keeping your ties of kinship. For
indeed keeping the ties of kinship encourages affection among the relatives, increases
the wealth, and increases the lifespan."
This Hadith urges us to know the names of parents and grandparents, uncles and
other ties of blood with the goal of staying connected with them and being kind to
them.
Dear Muslims,
Please know also that you can honour bonds of kinship by actively engaging in such
acts of obedience as visiting relatives, accepting their invitations, spending
generously, helping them when they are in distress, visiting them when they are sick,
celebrating their joys, comforting them in their sorrows, attending to their needs,
respecting the elderly amongst them, being compassionate to the young ones,
overlooking their flaws and mistakes, fulfilling their rights and giving money to the
poor amongst them. Allah says, "and give the relative his right, and [also] the poor
and the traveller." (Al Israa: 26).
In the same regard, our Prophet pbuh said, "giving charity to a poor person is charity,
and (giving) to a relative is two things, charity and upholding the ties of kinship."
As soon as the verse: "never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in
the way of Allah ] from that which you love." (Al Imran: 92) was revealed, Abu
Talha al Ansari went to the Messenger of Allah pbuh and said, "O Messenger of
Allah! The property which I love the best is Bayruha is Sadaqa for Allah. I hope for
its good and for it to be stored up with Allah. Place it wherever you wish, Messenger
of Allah.
"The Prophet pbuh said, "Well done! That is property which profits! That is property
which profits. I have heard what you have said about it and I think that you should
give it to your relatives." Abu Talha said, "I will do it, Messenger of Allah!' Abu
Talha therefore divided it among his relatives and the children of his paternal uncle."
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Scholars generally classified this Hadith under sections of the merits of spending on
relatives. Imam Al Shaabi said, "no relative of mine died indebted that I had not paid
his or her debt."
Knowing that, Dear Muslims, please honour bonds of your kinship even if your
relatives severe them in order to increase your rewards, purify your soul and raise
your status. Abu Dhar al Ghifari said that the Prophet pbuh advised him to observe
many good acts, including to love the poor, be closer to them and maintain ties of
kith and kin even if the latter disrespect them.
Allah-Exalted is He- has warned us from breaking these bonds and for his part our
Prophet pbuh considered it a sinful act that is punishable in this life and the next. He
said, "there is no sin more fitted to have punishment meted out by Allah to its
perpetrator in advance in this world along with what He stores up for him in the next
world than oppression and severing ties of relationship." He also said, "the tie of
kinship is suspended to the Throne and says: He who unites me Allah would unite
him and he who severed me Allah would sever him."
Dear Muslims,
Please observe ties of your kinship as you are ordered by Allah, ask about them, visit
them, never forget to greet them in joyful occasions and be generous and kind to
them. If you do so, the Lord of earth and heaven, by his favour, may be pleased with
you.
With this in mind, my Allah make us amongst those who duly honour bonds of
kinship following the Sunna of our Prophet pbuh. May Allah help us always to obey
You, Your Messenger Muhammad pbuh and those You have decreed on us to obey in
compliance with Your orders: "O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the
Messenger, and those charged with authority among you." (Annisaa: 59).
May Allah direct us all to the blessings of the Glorious Quran and the Sunna of His
Messenger pbuh and benefit us all in whatever is in them.
I say this and ask Allah the Great, the Most Honoured for forgiveness for me, you
and all the Muslims for every sin, so invoke Him for forgiveness, for He is the Most
Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Second sermon
Praise be to Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity but Him, having no associates.
I also bear witness that our Master Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, may
the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his pure
family, his companions and all those who will follow them in righteousness till the
Day of Judgment.
O Servants of Allah,
Please obey Allah as it ought to be by observing Him in private and in public and
know that prayers are accepted as long as the believer is not impatient, nor does he
pray ill for someone. This is evidenced in the following Hadith, "the supplication of
the servant is granted in case he does not supplicate for sin or for severing the ties of
blood, or he does not become impatient. It was said, "Allah's Messenger, what does:
"If he does not grow impatient" imply? He said, "that he should say like this: I
supplicated and I supplicated but I did not find it being responded. And then he
becomes frustrated and abandons supplication."
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He pbuh also said, "the actions of the children of Adam are presented before Allah
the Almighty on Thursday evening, the night before Jumuaa (Friday). He does not
accept the actions of someone who has severed ties of kinship."
Dear Muslims,
Bear in mind that you are asked to offer prayer and greetings upon our most noble
Prophet pbuh for Allah says, "indeed, Allah and His angels sends blessing upon
the Prophet. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him
and ask [Allah to grant him] peace." (Al Ahzab: 56). On the same matter, the
Prophet pbuh said, "for everyone who invokes a blessing on me will receive ten
blessings from Allah."
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Master Muhammad pbuh, his
family and all his Companions. May Allah be pleased with the Rightly Guided
Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and all those who will follow them in
righteousness till the Day of Judgment.
O Allah, may we ask You to help us with what gets us closer to Paradise and furthers
us from hell. O Allah we seek Your grace to admit us, our parents, whoever has done
a favour to us and all Muslims to Your Paradise.
O Allah, we implore You at this instant not to let a sin unforgiven, a distress
unrelieved, an illness unhealed or a handicapped without relief, a dead without mercy
or a debt unsettled. Our Lord, give us in this world that which is good and in the
Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire.
May Allah grant success to our leader HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and
his Deputy, HH Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and provide strength
and assistance to his brothers, Their Highness The Rulers of the Emirates, and his
trustworthy Crown Prince HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
O Allah, forgive all of the Muslims, men and women, living and dead, and make
blessings follow us and them. May Allah have mercy on Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh
Maktoum and all their brothers, the Late UAE Sheikhs. O Lord, forgive and show
mercy to our parents, relatives and whoever has done a favour to us.
We pray to Allah, the Most Gracious, to preserve the UAE from all temptations, both
apparent and hidden, and continue blessing the UAE and all Muslim countries with
safety and security.
O servants of Allah, remember Allah and He will remember you. Be grateful for His
benevolence He will increase His blessings to you. Allah, the Most High, says, "and
establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the
remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do." (Al
Ankaboot: 45).
Note: The English translation of the Quran and Hadith is an interpretation of their
meanings, and does not have the status of their original Arabic texts.
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