Then Abu Hurayrah said, “Recite, if you wish: ‘So would you perhaps, if you turned away, spread corruption throughout the land and sever your ties of kinship?’” (1) (Muhammad 22)
Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Abu Mansur al-Samani informed us; Abu Jafar al-Rayani informed us; Humayd ibn Zanjawayh narrated to us; Muslim ibn Ibrahim narrated to us; Kathir ibn Abd Allah al-Yashkuri narrated to us; al-Hasan ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf narrated to us from his father, from the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, who said: “Three shall be beneath the Throne on the Day of Resurrection: the Quran, which will contend on behalf of the servants—for it has an outward and an inward aspect—the trust, and the womb, which will call out: ‘Indeed, whoever maintains me, Allah will maintain him; and whoever severs me, Allah will sever him.’” (2)
Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Abu Mansur al-Samani informed us; Abu Jafar al-Rayani informed us; Humayd ibn Zanjawayh informed us; Abd Allah ibn Salih narrated to us; al-Layth ibn Sad narrated to me; Uqayl narrated to me from Ibn Shihab, who informed me that Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever wishes for his provision to be expanded and his lifespan to be prolonged, let him maintain his ties of kinship.” (3)
Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Shurayh informed us; Abu al-Qasim Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Baghawi informed us; Ali ibn al-Jad narrated to us; Shubah narrated to us, from Uyaynah ibn Abd al-Rahman, who said: I heard my father narrating from Abu Bakr, from the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, who said: “There is no sin more deserving of Allah hastening punishment for its perpetrator in this world, along with what is stored up for him in the Hereafter, than transgression and severing ties of kinship.” (4)
(1) Reported by al-Bukhari, al-Adab, chapter: “Whoever maintains ties, Allah maintains him,” 10:417; and also in al-Tafsir. It was also reported by Muslim, al-Birr wa al-Silah, chapter on maintaining kinship ties and the prohibition of severing them, no. 2554, 4:1980-1981, though it does not contain the wording: “Then it took hold of the haqw (loin) of al-Rahman.” Some narrations read, “the haqw of al-Rahman,” while others read, “the hujzah (waist-wrapper) of al-Rahman.” See Fath al-Bari, 10:417-418. The author also reported it with this wording in Sharh al-Sunnah, 13:21, then said: It has been said that attachment to the haqw of al-Rahman means seeking refuge and holding fast to Allah. One says, “I sought refuge in the haqw of so-and-so,” meaning: I sought his protection. It has also been said that haqw means izar (waist-wrapper), and His izar is His might; thus, kinship sought refuge in His might against being severed, just as occurs in the supplication of one suffering pain: “I seek refuge in the might of Allah from the evil of what I feel.” Reported by Malik, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah.
(2) Reported by the author in Sharh al-Sunnah, 13:22-23. Al-Suyuti attributed it in al-Jami al-Saghir to al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi in his Nawadir and to Muhammad ibn Nasr in his Fawa'id. Al-Manawi said in Fayd al-Qadir, 3:317: “Its chain includes Kathir ibn Abd Allah al-Yashkuri, concerning whom criticism has been made.” Al-Dhahabi said in al-Mizan, 3:409: “Kathir ibn Abd Allah narrated from al-Hasan ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, from his father; Muslim ibn Ibrahim narrated from him. Al-Uqayli said: ‘Its chain of transmission is unsound,’” and he cited this hadith under his entry.
(3) Reported by al-Bukhari, al-Adab, chapter on one whose provision is expanded through maintaining kinship ties, 10:415; Muslim, al-Birr wa al-Silah, chapter on maintaining kinship ties, no. 2557, 4:1982; and the author in Sharh al-Sunnah, 13:18-19. His statement, “his term is deferred,” means that his lifespan is prolonged. One says: “May Allah prolong your life,” and, “May He defer your lifespan.” Here, athar (trace) means the end of one’s life; the appointed term is called athar because it follows one’s lifespan.
(4) Reported by Abu Dawud, al-Adab, chapter on the prohibition of oppression, 7:225; al-Tirmidhi, Sifat al-Qiyamah, chapter: “Look at those beneath you,” 7:213-214, who said: “This is a sahih hadith”; and Ibn Majah, al-Zuhd, chapter on oppression, no. 4211, 2:1408. It was authenticated by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak, 4:163. It was also reported by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad, 5:38, and by the author in Sharh al-Sunnah, 13:26.