- Jarir ibn ‘Abd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ to establish the prayer, pay the zakah, and offer sincere counsel to every Muslim.” Agreed upon.
[Commentary]
These three hadiths—those of Abu Ayyub, Abu Hurayrah, and Jarir—appear in the chapter that emphasizes the obligation of zakah and explains its excellence. All of them confirm what has already been stated: establishing the prayer and paying the zakah are among the compulsory duties of Islam.
The report of Abu Ayyub contains an additional injunction: maintaining the bonds of kinship. The womb-ties (rahim) are relatives on the father’s side or the mother’s side, and keeping those ties is to be understood according to common custom, because the Prophet ﷺ did not specify a particular manner. Whenever something is mentioned in the Quran or Sunnah without detailed instructions, its implementation is referred back to what people customarily recognize, and that custom varies with circumstances, eras, and countries.
Thus, when poverty, need, or high living costs prevail, maintaining the ties of kinship means giving money as one is able and meeting their needs. Likewise, if relatives are ill, one keeps the ties by visiting them repeatedly, in proportion to the severity of the illness and the closeness of the relationship. When conditions are comfortable and there is no pressing need—as is typical in our time today—a telephone call, a letter, or rare occasions such as the two ‘Eids and similar events will suffice. The essential point is that maintaining the bonds of kinship is obligatory, but its precise form is not fixed by the Sacred Law; rather, it falls back on the customary practice mutually recognized among people.