Love your kin

Our beloved Prophet (peace upon Him) once said:

“Whoever who believes in Allah and the Last Day should maintain good relation with his kindred.”(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Who are these kindred? Are you curious? Generally, kin are the ones whom we called family and relatives. It could be parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunties, uncles, nieces and their children, nephews and their children, cousins and their children, from both parent’s side.

There are many stories I heard on kinship squabbles and clashes. The stories include siblings fighting and squabbling over land, properties and wealth of their parents; cousins who badmouth their own sisters; men who boycotted their own brother’s families; parents who disowned their own children; relatives who backstabbed, and brothers who have not spoken for years.

Have you heard of these kinds of stories too, my friends? Doesn’t make you wonder why is there so much trouble when it comes to kin’s relationship?

Our beloved Prophet promised something incredible:

“Whoever would like to have his provision increased or his lifespan extended, let him uphold the ties of kinship.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

SubhanaAllah, What a reward! What a prizes! For such simple acts of loving another human being called kin, don’t you think so?

A Bedouin stopped the Prophet (peace upon Him) while he was travelling and asked:

“Tell me what will bring me nearer to heaven and keep me away from the Fire?” The Prophet (Peace upon Him) answered: “Worship Allah and do not associate anyone or anything with Him. Attend regularly to your prayers and pay zakah and foster your ties of kinship.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

See..Maintaining ties of kinship is not benefit us in this world only, but also benefit us in the Hereafter! How fabulous is that?

I asked myself – what did I do to show that I love my kin? What did I do to maintain my ties with them? When was the last time I visited them?

What about you, my friends? Do you know which of your relatives are in need? Are there any orphans among your kin whom you could kiss their foreheads and love them? Are there any of your cousins who are crying alone because you are too busy to lend your shoulder? Are there any uncles who feel ill and you haven’t visited them? When was the last time you heard your grandparent’s voice?

I lost my father who had loved me so much and who sacrificed himself taking care of me once. And only after his death, I realized that I had not done enough for him. At that moment, only Allah knew how much my heart bled, wishing that he was still around so that I could just touch him, look at his smile, listen to his kind words, hug him tightly and take care of him.

I promise myself one thing from that day onward – I must care for my kins. Wouldn’t you want to do the same too, my brothers and sisters?

If your heart said yes to that, then what are you waiting for? Grab your car keys and start driving to them. Knock on their doors and hug them. Pick up the phone and dial their numbers. Log into your computer and send them an email. Take out your stationary and write them a letter.

Tell them that you love them, tell them that you are sorry, tell them that you forgive them, tell them that you miss them and tell them it doesn’t matter who was right and who was wrong anymore. Do it now while their hands are still warm and have not turned blue. Do it now because it is the right thing to do. Do it now before it’s too late.

***source – Zabrina A. Bakar, “Life is an Open Secret”