Allah Almighty says: {Then if you turn away, what else can be expected but that you will spread corruption in the land and sever your ties of kinship? These are the ones whom Allah has cursed, and has made them deaf and has blinded their sight.} [Surat Muhammad: 22-23] Allah Almighty says: {As for those who break the covenant of Allah after it has been ratified, and sever the ties that Allah has commanded to be maintained, and spread corruption in the land – it is they who are cursed, and for them there will be the worst abode.} [Surat ar-Ra‘d: 25] Allah Almighty says: {Your Lord has ordained that you worship none but Him, and show kindness to parents. If one or both of them reach old age in your care, do not say to them a word of annoyance nor scold them, rather speak to them noble words. and lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy, and say, “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they raised me when I was small.”} [Surat al-Isrā’: 23-24]
1) Severing the ties of kinship is a reason for torment and incurring the general divine punishment, which indicates that it is one of the major sins.
2) It is forbidden to cause to the parents the least harm, even by saying to them ‘Uff’ (a word that expresses annoyance), for it is a type of undutifulness.
336/1- Abu Bakrah, Nufay‘ ibn al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Shall I inform you of the gravest of the major sins?” He repeated this three times. They said: “Yes, please do, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Ascribing partners to Allah, and unkindness to parents.” He was reclining so he sat up and said: “Beware of false statements and false testimony.” He kept repeating this so many times that we wished he would stop.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
337/2 - ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The major sins are: associating partners with Allah, undutifulness towards parents, killing a soul, and the intentional false oath.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
In the Arabic text of the Hadīth, the intentional false oath is described as 'the dipping oath', because it 'dips' the one who makes it in sin.
False statements: this means lying, falsehood, and all obscene language. False testimony: lying in giving witness testimony. False testimony is included in false statements.
1) Undutifulness to one’s parents is one of the gravest major sins, and therefore it is mentioned along with associating partners with Allah Almighty.
2) The Hadīth strictly warns against giving a false testimony. The one who gives a false testimony has wronged himself for having committed a major sin, and wronged the one for whose interest the false testimony was given, since he authorized him to unlawfully consume what he does not deserve. He also wronged the one against whom the testimony was made since he committed injustice and transgression against him. For all these reasons, a false testimony is one of the gravest major sins.
3) One should beware of these major sins: associating partners with Allah, undutifulness to parents, false statements, and false testimony given the evil consequences they lead to in the worldly life and the Hereafter.
4) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) showed to his nation the paths of good so that they would follow it, and also showed them the paths of evil so that they would beware of them.
338/3- He also reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “One of the major sins is that a man verbally abuses his parents.” They (the Companions) said: “O Messenger of Allah, does a man verbally abuse his parents?” He replied: “Yes, he verbally abuses the father of another man, who in turn abuses his father, and he abuses his mother and he in turn abuses his mother.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
In another version of the Hadīth, he said: “One of the gravest major sins is that a man curses his parents!” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, How does a man curse his parents?” He replied: “He curses a man’s father who then curses his father, and he curses a man’s mother who then curses his mother.”
1) The Hadīth includes a warning for a slave against being a cause for abusing and insulting his parents by abusing the parents of others.
2) Being a cause for a deed is like doing it. Therefore, the one who causes his parents to be verbally abused is like one who verbally abuses them himself.
339/4- Abu Muhammad, Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The severer does not enter Paradise.” Sufyāan said in his narration: it means the severer of kinship ties. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) Severing ties of kinship is strictly warned of being a reason for banning the perpetrator from entering Paradise.
2) The negation of entering Paradise here is a kind of threat of the punishment, but it does not mean eternal abidance in Hell or permanent banning from entering Paradise.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “This Hadīth can be interpreted in two ways:
First interpretation: it could be referring to someone who deems severing ties of kinship lawful without a valid reason or a misconception, despite his awareness of the prohibition. Such a person is a disbeliever who will abide eternally in Hell and will never enter Paradise.
Second interpretation: It could mean that such a person will not enter Paradise with the first group to enter it, but he will be delayed as a punishment for some time as Allah Almighty wills. [Sharh Sahīh Muslim]
340/5- Abu ‘Īsa, Al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah prohibited for you that you be undutiful to your mothers, that you withhold (what you should give) or demand (what you do not deserve), and that you bury girls alive. And He disliked for you engaging in gossip, asking too many questions, and wasting your property.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
-- -- Engaging in gossip means that a person reports all what he hears from others without verifying its truthfulness. It is an enough sin for someone to speak of all what he hears. Wasting of property means squandering and spending it in impermissible purposes concerning the Hereafter or the worldly life, and failing to preserve it when there is a possibility to do so. Asking too many questions means persistent asking about matters that one is in no need of.
There are other Hadīths related to this topic that were cited in the previous chapter, like the one that reads: “... and that I sever ties with he who severs ties with you.” and the one that reads: “...whosoever severs relations with me, Allah will sever connection with him.”
1) It is forbidden to be undutiful to mothers as well as fathers, but mothers were mentioned particularly in the Hadīth given their weakness and need for care.
2) Wealth is a trust with the slave, so he should spend it only in what yields worldly or religious interests.
3) Spending money in unlawful ways involves two prohibitions: wasting money and committing something prohibited, so one should beware of that.
4) The Shariah bans all that spoils people’s religiosity, intellect, or wealth; and this reflects the perfection of this great religion.
The reward of maintaining ties of kinship and kindness to others is perceived in the worldly life before the Hereafter, and the punishment of severing the ties of kinship and transgression against others’ rights is inflicted upon the perpetrator in the worldly life before the Hereafter. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There is nothing in which Allah is obeyed that yields a swifter reward than maintaining the ties of kinship, and there is nothing whose punishment is swifter than that of transgression and severing the ties of kinship.” [Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Sunan Al-Kubra as reported by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)]