The 365 · Sunnah · Day 160 · Family
Silat ar-Rahim: Keeping the Ties of Kinship
The hadith
مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يُبْسَطَ لَهُ فِي رِزْقِهِ، وَأَنْ يُنْسَأَ لَهُ فِي أَثَرِهِ، فَلْيَصِلْ رَحِمَهُ
Whoever would like his provision to be expanded and his lifespan to be extended, let him maintain the ties of kinship.
Svenska: Den som önskar att hans försörjning ska utökas och hans livslängd förlängas, låt honom vårda sina släktband.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5986; Sahih Muslim 2557 (narrated by Anas ibn Malik)
The story
The Prophet ﷺ spoke of kinship as a living bond with weight in the sight of Allah. Anas ibn Malik reported his promise that whoever wishes for expanded provision and a longer life should maintain the ties of kinship (al-Bukhari, Muslim). In another narration the Prophet ﷺ described the rahim - the bond of kinship - as hanging onto the Throne, saying: 'Whoever keeps me, Allah keeps him, and whoever cuts me off, Allah cuts him off' (Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim). When a man asked him for a single deed that would bring him near to Paradise and far from the Fire, the Prophet ﷺ answered: worship Allah alone, establish the prayer, give the zakah, and keep the ties of kinship (narrated by Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, al-Bukhari and Muslim). He also taught that the one who truly keeps ties is not the one who merely repays visits and gifts, but the one who restores the bond when relatives have severed it (Sahih al-Bukhari). Kinship, in his teaching, is not a courtesy but a trust - one that ties our standing with Allah to how we treat our own blood.
Why it's here
Family is the first circle of mercy Allah places us in, and the Prophet ﷺ made honouring it a measure of faith itself. Silat ar-rahim is not limited to those who are easy to love; its higher form is reaching out to the relative who has turned away. The reward is striking - blessing in provision and life - yet the deeper point is that keeping kin is keeping faith with Allah, since the bond He created hangs on His Throne. In an age when families drift apart over distance, busyness, or old wounds, a single message, visit, or act of forgiveness can repair what neglect would leave broken.
Try it today
1. Choose one relative today - especially one you have drifted from - and reach out with a call, visit, or sincere message. 2. If there is a strained tie, take the first step to restore it, seeking Allah's reward rather than waiting to be met halfway. 3. Ask after a relative's needs and offer something concrete: your time, help, a gift, or a heartfelt du'a for them. 4. Make an intention to keep this bond alive, not as a one-off, but as a habit you return to regularly.
In your day
Silat ar-rahim thrives on small, steady acts more than grand gestures. Set a recurring reminder to contact parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins - a rotating list so no one is forgotten. Turn everyday tools toward kinship: a weekly call, a family group where you share good news and du'a, remembering birthdays and hardships. When old resentment surfaces, remember that the Prophet ﷺ praised the one who connects after being cut off, not the one who keeps score. Even a two-minute message that says 'I remembered you today' can reopen a door. Let your family feel that being related to you is a mercy.
A reflection to carry
The Prophet ﷺ said the true keeper of ties is the one who connects after being cut off. Is there a bond you could restore for Allah's sake, without waiting to be met halfway?
Sources: Sahih al-Bukhari 5986; Sahih Muslim 2557 - Anas: provision and lifespan for the one who keeps kinship, Sahih al-Bukhari 5989; Sahih Muslim 2555 - the rahim hanging on the Throne, Sahih al-Bukhari 1396; Sahih Muslim 13 - Abu Ayyub: the deed that brings one near Paradise includes keeping ties, Sahih al-Bukhari 5991 - the true keeper of ties is the one who restores them after they are cut off. The Qur'an and its translation are verified; the scholarship is retold faithfully in our own words and credited to its sources, never reproduced verbatim.
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