33-Communicating with our relatives

33-Communicating with our relatives.
The First Khutbah
All praises are for Allah, the possessor of honour and majesty. Who has encouraged us to communicate with our relatives. I bear witness there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, the Uniquely One, having no partner in that One-ness. And I bear witness that our Leader and Sayyid, our Prophet, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), is the perfect example of servanthood unto Allah, and is His sent Messenger unto the entirety of the created universe.

 Who has made communication with relatives a sign of our faith itself, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said:
مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ؛ فَلْيَصِلْ رَحِمَهُ
Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, then let him connect with his relatives. [Bukhari]

O Allah send your peace, blessings and grace upon our Sayyid, our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and upon all his family, companions and those who follow them.

I advise myself and advise you with the Taqwa of Allah, as Allah says:
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ
And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs (you are connected to). [Qurʾān:3:1]

O You who believe: A man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “Which of the deeds are most beloved to Allah? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Faith in Allah. So the man said: O Messenger of Allah, then what? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Then, connecting yourself to your relatives”.

This connection entails communicating with them, asking about them. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used the word Silah which includes all the means of communication and connection with relatives. Using whatever the means are at our disposal, including modern means of technology.

We should communicate for the purposes of bringing peace and contentment to their hearts, in expressing sympathy and giving them comfort, providing relief for their pain. This includes supplicating for a cure for their sicknesses, and at the very least to extend salaams to them, which in itself is a supplication for their peace.

For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said:

 بُلُّوا أَرْحَامَكُمْ وَلَوْ بِالسَّلَامِ
Connect with your relatives even if it with Salaams
In other words connect with them, even if it is with simply conveying salaams. For all of this enables the family bond to grow stronger, and solidifies community cohesion. So there is responsibility on fathers and mothers to make their daughters and sons know about the rights and responsibilities of kinship, and to urge them to pray; for that is their responsibility.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
«تَعَلَّمُوا مِنْ أَنْسَابِكُمْ مَا تَصِلُونَ بِهِ أَرْحَامَكُمْ»
Learn enough about your lineage to facilitate keeping your ties of kinship. n [Tirmidhī]

So O Allah, make us of those who connect our relatives together, and who are able to persist in joining hearts, through Your grace, O most noble of the noble.

I say this, and seek your forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness, indeed He is the most forgiving, most merciful.

Second Khutbah
All praises are due to Allah, the One. And may peace and blessings be upon our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and upon all those who follow his guidance afterwards.

O Believers: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave good tidings to those who connect with their relatives, he mentioned that they would have grace (barakah) in their lives through an increase in life expectancy, and have proficiency in their sustenance.

So he said:
مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يُبْسَطَ لَهُ فِي رِزْقِهِ، أَوْ يُنْسَأَ لَهُ فِي أَثَرِهِ؛ فَلْيَصِلْ رَحِمَهُ
He who is desirous that his means of sustenance should be expanded for him or his age may be lengthened, should join the ties of relationship. [Bukhari and Muslim]

The above is only the benefits they would attain unto in this world, as for in the next life, they would attain therein Paradise itself. So it is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who says that he said: “O Messenger of Allah, inform me of a matter that if I do, I can enter Paradise thereby, so he gave some immense advice saying:
وَصِلِ ‌الْأَرْحَامَ
Join the ties of kinship [Ahmad]

So let us be avid in joining the ties with our relatives and relations. Whether this is through the means of technology or otherwise, but let us be careful and minimize physical interactions except when there is necessity. We should all be conscious of the precautionary guidelines concerning social visitation that have been issued by the relevant authorities, as these guidelines have been issued for the purposes of our welfare and to protect our health, as well as the health and wellbeing of our relatives.

With this, let us send our prayers and blessings upon the best of those who had a good opinion of Allah, our master, our Prophet, Muhammad. May Allah send His peace and blessings upon him, upon his family, his companions, all of them. O Allah we ask you that You always make us of those who join between hearts and ties of kinship, that You increase us in love. Make us of those who connect and not those who separate.

O Allah we ask You to raise from and remove from the entire world this plague, You are the one who answers the supplications of the distressed.