Prophet Muhammed’s (ﷺ) Practical Teachings on Maintaining Blood Relationships

In these testing times when maintaining family ties are disregarded, Prophet Muhammed’s ﷺ teachings show us the light to cherish our loved ones, and also to prosper in this world and the hereafter. 

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ helped us in enhancing our bonds and our lives by saying: “Anyone who wants to expand their means and live more, let them strengthen their ties with their kin.” (1) 

Prophet Muhammed ﷺ also said: “Rahim (which is an Arabic word for blood relation) stems out from the same root word al-Raheem, one of the attributes of Allah which means “most merciful”. The noble Prophet ﷺ said that Allah said to the ties of kinship: ‘I will connect anyone who connects you, and I will disconnect anyone who disconnects you.’” (2)

Yet today we have brothers and sisters backbiting, plotting, ridiculing their own siblings and other close relatives (by the way, backbiting anyone else is equally bad). Let’s take a closer look at how our beloved Prophet Muhammed ﷺ maintained his love for his close relatives.

After the combat at Uhud, there were a few ladies from Banu Abd al-Ashhal who were crying for their martyred relatives. Our beloved Prophet’s ﷺ uncle Sayyiduna Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib ؓ was also martyred during this event, which had brought serious pain and sorrow to Prophet Muhammed ﷺ, because he loved his uncle dearly. Not just those ladies who were reciting sorrowful poetical lines, but nobody else who were mourning their fallen relatives spoke anything about Sayyiduna Hamzah ؓ . Not just that, nobody even condoled Prophet Muhammed ﷺ on the passing away of Sayyiduna Hamzah ؓ . Showing his grief and sorrow for his uncle, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “But who mourns Hamzah ؓ? I mourn him!” (3) This shows how caring nephew the Prophet ﷺ was.

Talking about his another uncle – Sayyiduna Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib ؓ, and referring to him, Prophet Muhammed ﷺ said: “A man’s uncle is like his father.” (4) He ﷺ also said about Sayyiduna Abbas ؓ: “He is from me, and I am from him.” (5) This incident took place when Sayyiduna Abbas ؓ once came to Prophet Muhammed ﷺ with utter frustration and told the beloved ﷺ: “What evil did we do to the Quraish? When they meet each other they’re all smiles. But when they meet us sons of Hashim, it’s a different scenario.” Seeing his uncle in this situation, Prophet Muhammed’s ﷺ eyebrows frowned; his face changed in disgust. He ﷺ replied and said: “By Allah! Their faith will not be complete until and unless they love you, for the sake of Allah and his Messenger (ﷺ).” Then, to ensure his uncle never has to go through this psychological pain again, Prophet Muhammed ﷺ made a public address and said: “O people! Anyone who hurts my uncle, hurts me. A person’s uncle is equal to his father.” (6)

Prophet Muhammed ﷺ loved Sayyiduna Abbas ؓ and his children greatly. Once he said to his cousin Abdullah ؓ, the son of Abbas ؓ: “Come with your children on Monday so that I may pray for you, and Allah will thus benefit you.” When they went, Prophet Muhammed ﷺ gifted them new clothes, which they wore excitedly, and he ﷺ supplicated for them by saying: ‘O Allah! Forgive Abbas ؓ and his children ؓ for every mistake, those that they know and those that they don’t. Leave not even a single one out of Your forgiveness. O Allah! Protect him and his children.” (7)

References:

1. Sahih Bukhari

2. Sahih Bukhari, Sunan al-Kubra by Imam Bayhaqi

3. Sunan Ibn Majjah, Mustadrak Ala al-Sahihain

4. Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sahih Tirmidhi

5. Sahih Tirmidhi

6. Sahih Tirmidhi

7. Sahih Tirmidhi

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