—a good and sound ḥadīth.

24/335 – Al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet ﷺ said, “The maternal aunt holds the status of the mother.” Reported by al-Tirmidhī, who said: a good and sound ḥadīth.

There are many other well-known authentic reports on this topic. Among them are the story of the three men trapped in the cave, the ḥadīth of Jurayj—both of which have already been mentioned—and other famous traditions found in the sound collections that I have left out for brevity. One of the most important is the lengthy narration of ʿAmr ibn ʿAbasah (may Allah be pleased with him), which contains numerous foundational principles and etiquettes of Islam. I shall quote it in full, God willing, in the Chapter of Hope. In it he says:

“I came to the Prophet ﷺ in Mecca at the very beginning of his mission and asked, ‘What are you?’ He replied, ‘A prophet.’ I asked, ‘And what is a prophet?’ He answered, ‘Allah has sent me.’ I said, ‘With what has He sent you?’ He replied, ‘He has sent me to uphold the ties of kinship, to break the idols, and that Allah be worshipped alone without partner.’” He mentioned the rest of the ḥadīth. Allah knows best.

[Explanation]

These ḥadīths clarify the obligation of maintaining family ties and honoring one’s parents.

Among them is the report of Khālid ibn Zayd al-Anṣārī, who asked the Prophet ﷺ about a deed that would admit him to Paradise and keep him away from the Fire. The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Worship Allah without associating anything with Him, establish the prayer, give the zakat, and maintain the ties of kinship.” The point of relevance here is his statement: