Dutifulness to Parents and Maintaining Ties of Kinship

                             IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST BENEFICENT AND MOST MERCIFUL.

My honorable brothers and sisters in Islam, these two are of the major things Islam considered in high esteem. For indeed, no one will devalue them unless they became a source for his regret. They're also of the major sins that one most take heed of.

DUTIFULNESS TO PARENTS

Allah the Almighty said:

وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا

"Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him alone, and treat parents with the best of kindness. Should one of them, or both, attain old age in your lifetime, do not say “Ugh!” to them (as an indication of complaint or impatience), nor push them away; and always address them in gracious words. Lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy, and say: “My Lord, have mercy on them even as they cared for me in childhood.” (al-Isra 17:23–24). Many a times you can see some with a bankrupted foresight, perhaps liable to lost their Hereafter if they did not redirect their sheep, i simply mean amend their mistakes. such people reprimanding, rebuking or exchanging words with their parents.

Brother and sister! verily, we owe our parents an endless reverence and homage. Almighty magnified their levels such that no one can have entrance to paradise without obeying them, especially for our mothers that prophet SAW mentioned in one authentic narration, says; " Paradise is under the feet  of  the mothers". Being undutiful to parents is of the things Allah S.W take serious action right from this world. You'll never disobey your parents and be in jannah. If you'll be consistent on performing all sorts of Ibadats and be undutiful to them, you'll be lost. And if Allah wish will spair you to live a successful life, or He chooses to taste you a miserable life. So we owe them undeniable respect.

179. Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The major sins are associating others with Allah, disobeying your parents, killing someone and giving a false oath.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Ayman, 16, Diyat, 2).
180. Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “One of the major wrong actions is for a man to abuse his parents.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allah, is it possible for a man to abuse his parents?” He replied, “Yes. He may curse a another man’s father who in turn curses his father, and curse his mother and he in turn curses his mother.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Adab, 4; Sahih Muslim, Iman, 146                                                                                                

No body will deny the fact that, people now indulge in abusing their brother either out of jokes or serious, thinking that they only accuse or abuses their friends and not their own parents. So this hadith is teaching us that; abusing others parents is a sign of being undutiful and not respecting one's parents. May Allah forgive us and our parents. AMEEN.

MAINTAINING THE TIE OF KINSHIP:

Almighty Allah linked us to one another. When we'r born, we are the new descendants and members of a particular family, perhaps not the only child in the family. As such, we are part of that family which form from the union of father and mother,through which we have our uncles. These our parents are also descendants from a certain family. All these mentioned and even their extensions(cousins, grand children e.t.c) are said to be one's family. So, Allah the Almighty destined that we have our relatives that we owe visitations and keeping in touch with them with our wealth and kindness which is called; "Tie of kinship". These tie of kinship is a strong relationship Allah S.W regards in high estimation. That's why He even mentioned in chapter (47:22)

ْفَهَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ أَنْ تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَتُقَطِّعُوا أَرْحَامَكُم. أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ فَأَصَمَّهُمْ وَأَعْمَىٰ أَبْصَارَهُم                   

So would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on earth and sever your [ties of] relationship"??" "Those [who do so] are the ones that Allah has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their vision."

وَالَّذِينَ يَنْقُضُونَ عَهْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مِيثَاقِهِ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۙ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّار

        But those who break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which Allah has ordered to be joined and spread corruption on earth -  for them is the curse, and they will have the worst home. 

The underlined from the above verses, talking about those breaking the tie of kinship. As such, the curse and punishment of Allah descends on them. My respected brothers and sisters! this is how extent Allah considered the level of relationship. A hadith reported by Bukhari & Muslim mentioned some of the worldly benefits that Allah grant anyone who is maintaining the tie of kinship . On the authority of Anas bn Malik, Allah's messenger SAW said, " He who likes that his sustenance should be expanded and his age may be lengthened should join the tie of kinship." Scholars expatiate upon this and said; by joining the tie of one's kinship, Almighty Allah will increase him in wealth, and also gives him the capability of worship of the one who would live longer than his age. This is Absolutely wonderful.  

A frightening and long authentic hadith that i'll like to share with us is; Narrrated by Huzayfah and Aby Hurayrah. which was in the statement mentioned by prophet SAW that; " Trust and ties of relationship will be sent forth on the Day of QIYAMAH and will stand on the either sides (left and right) of the SIRAT [i.e the bridge set over Hell fire]." In this situation, Allah will send an extreme darkness to submerge all the surrounding that one can't afford to see his front. So, people will be asked to cross over before they get in to JANNAH. and ALLAH provides hooks that are used to drag those who did not comply to maintain their TIE OF KINSHIP in the world or indulge in betraying AMANAH. Highly detrimental and jeopardizing are these two issues as we hear some of the repercussions. So, my brothers we need to be extra-concious about them.

We implore Allah's refuge from being undutiful to our parents, and breaking our tie of kinship. I said this while seeking Allah's forgiveness for you and me and rest of the believers, from all our sins and shortcomings. Ask for Allah's forgiveness, He'll surely forgive you, for He's oft-forgiving and most merciful.

REFERENCES:

Nawawi, Imam. Riyad As-Salihin; The Gardens of the Righteous: A collection of authentic hadiths. Tughra Books Press, Inc. 2014, Alkabaa'ir; Imam Al-dhahaby.