Kindness to Parents, Relatives, Kinsfolk and Severance of Ties

‘Kindness [to parents] and charity given secretly dispel poverty, increase lifespans, and protect one from seventy dreadful types of death.’”

“Verily a servant may be kind to his parents in their lifetime, then they pass away and he does not repay their debts, nor does he pray for their forgiveness, so Allah writes him among those who were undutiful. Likewise,…

I was informed by Abū ʿAbdillāh about the dutifulness of his son Ismāʿīl towards him. He said, ‘I used to love him, and now my love for him has increased. Verily the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) was visited by his foster…

“Verily keeping ties with close relatives purifies one’s deeds, makes the accounting easy, wards off afflictions, and increases one’s lifespan.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) said, ‘Verily there may be a family that is dutiful [to their elders], so their wealth grows, even if they are sinful.’”

“I said to Abū ʿAbdillāh (a), ‘Verily my father has become very old and weak, so we carry him [to the lavatory] when he needs to relieve himself.’ He said, ‘If you can continue doing that [yourself] then do so, and feed…

“A man came to the Prophet (ṣ) and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, there is no ugly action but that I have performed it; is there any possibility of repentance for me?’ The Messenger of Allah (ṣ) replied, ‘Are any of your…

“I heard a man saying to Abū ʿAbdillāh (a), ‘Verily I have parents who are against us (the Shīʿah).’ He said to him, ‘Be kind to them the way you are kind to the Muslims who have love for us.’”

“Charity given secretly extinguishes the Lord’s wrath, and being kind to parents and keeping ties with near relatives increases lifespans.”

“I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh say, ‘A man once came to the Prophet (ṣ) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have a family with whom I had been keeping ties, yet they would hurt me, so now I want to repudiate them.” So the…

“I heard Abā ʿAbdillāh say, ‘Verily the womb, suspended from the [Divine] Throne, will call out on the Day of Judgment, “O Allah, keep ties with the one who kept my ties and cut off the one who severed my ties.”’ I…

“Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a) once gave a sermon to the people in which he praised Allah and glorified Him, then said, ‘Even if a man is wealthy and has many children, he is never needless of his tribe and of their fellowship,…

“Abū ʿAbdillāh (a) said to me, ‘Verily keeping ties with near relatives makes the accounting easier on the Day of Judgment. Then he recited [the verse]: They maintain the ties that Allah has ordered to be maintained,…

“I said to Abū ʿAbdillāh (a), ‘Verily the family of so-and-so are dutiful [and kind] towards each other and maintain familial ties with each other.’ He said, ‘Then they will grow [in numbers] and their wealth will grow.…

“Kindness [to parents] increases one’s lifespan and charity given secretly calms the Lord’s wrath.”

Mūsā ibn ʿImrān (a) saw a man under the shade of the [Divine] Throne so he asked, ‘O Lord, who is this person whom You have brought so close that You have placed him under the shade of Your Throne?’ Allah, the Blessed…

“If Allah knew [human beings capable of using] anything less than ‘uff’ [against their parents], He would have forbidden it, and that is the smallest form of undutifulness. Another form of undutifulness is for a man to…

Should I not guide you to the best of moral traits of this world and the Hereafter?” They (the companions) said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!” He said, “Whoever establishes ties with the one who cuts him off, gives to the…

“I asked Abā ʿAbdillāh (a) about the verse wherein Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says: Be mindful of Allah, in Whose name you appeal to one another, and [honor] your family ties… (Q4:1). He said, “[It refers to] the…

“In the book of ʿAlī, Amīr al- Muʾminīn, (a) [we find the following]: There are three traits whose possessor never dies until he has seen their evil consequences: aggression, severing ties with near relatives, and giving…

“A man came to the Prophet (sw) and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, whom should I be kind to?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then who?’ He (sw) said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Your father.’”[1]

No, except in two cases: he finds him enslaved so he buys him and emancipates him, or he is indebted so he pays off his debt.”

he heard saying “A man came to Abū Dharr and gave him good news of his sheep that had given birth. He said, ‘O Abā Dharr, I bring glad tidings that your sheep have reproduced and increased in number!’ He said, ‘I am not…

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) say, ‘Verily keeping ties with near relatives is a means of augmenting wealth, it [also] enhances love among the family, and postpones death.’”

O Muyassir, your death had arrived on more than one occasion, but each time it was postponed for you by Allah due to your keeping ties with your near relatives.’”

he heard saying, “It may be that thirty years remain for a man to live, but he regularly keeps ties with his close kinsfolk and with his near relatives, so Allah increases it to thirty-three years. And it may be that…