In another version reported by both of them: A man came and asked the Prophet ﷺ for permission to take part in jihad. He asked him, “Are your parents alive?” He replied, “Yes.” He said, “Then strive on their behalf.”

11/322 — On his authority, from the Prophet ﷺ: “The one who maintains the ties of kinship is not the mere reciprocator; rather, the true maintainer is the one who, when his kinship tie is severed, restores it.” Reported by al-Bukhari. (The verb “qutiʿat” is pronounced with a fatḥa on both the qāf and the ṭāʾ, and the word “raḥim” is in the nominative case.)

12/323 — ʿĀʾishah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The tie of kinship is suspended from the Throne, saying, ‘Whoever keeps me connected, Allah will keep him connected; and whoever cuts me off, Allah will cut him off.’” Agreed upon.

[Commentary]
These hadiths illustrate the excellence of maintaining the ties of kinship. The person who truly upholds them is not the one who merely responds in kind when his relatives reach out to him; rather, it is the one who, when his relatives cut him off, still reaches out to them. His motive is to please Allah, not to repay people or to earn their praise. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The maintainer is not the reciprocator,” meaning the one who only visits those who visit him. Instead, the maintainer is the one who, when his kin cut him off, restores the connection. These hadiths also show that the tie of kinship is attached to the Throne,