The Punishment for Severing Family Ties (An Incident from Al-Zawajir)

There is a book by Allamah Ibn Hajar Haytami (may Allah have mercy on him) titled "Al-Zawajir 'an Iqtiraaf al-Kaba'ir". In it, he narrated an incident: A person went with the intention of Hajj. When he was about to perform Hajj, he inquired in Makkah, "Who is the most trustworthy person here?" He was directed to a certain individual. So, he went to him and entrusted him with one thousand dinars. After leaving the dinars, he began performing his Hajj rituals. When the Hajj was completed, he went to the man's house to take back his trust. Upon reaching there, he found out that the person had passed away. He said, "I had given one thousand dinars, how will I get my dinars now?" His children said, "He did not inform us where he kept the dinars." They searched a lot in the house but could not find them. So, this person went to the local scholars and asked, "I had given such a large amount, and he has passed away, how will I get my money back?" One person told him, "Go to the Well of Zamzam after midnight at the time of Tahajjud, and call out saying that you had given a trust to such-and-such person. If he was a righteous person, then based on experience, Allah sometimes brings his soul there and he answers." The man went there and called out, but received no answer. When he informed them that he got no response, they said, "Go to Yemen. There is a well there called 'Chah-e-Barhoot' (the Well of Barhoot). Go there and call out; the souls of the people of Hell gather there, you will find out there." This person reached there. Ibn Hajar Haytami (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that when he called out there, he received a reply: "I have buried your money at such-and-such place in my house, take it from there." The man asked, "Why after all did you bury it? Why didn't you leave it with your relatives, wife, or children?" He replied, "I did not trust my children. I thought lest they might commit breach of trust (treachery), therefore I kept it there. Go and take it from there." The man said, "You were a very righteous person, but I am encountering your soul at Chah-e-Barhoot, where the souls of the people of Hell gather?" He replied, "The matter is that I was indeed a very righteous man, strictly punctual with my fasting and prayers: 'كَانَ لِي أُخْتٌ فَقِيرَةٌ هَجَرتهَا وَكُنت لا أَحْنُو عَلَيْهَا فَعَاقَبَنِي اللَّهُ تَعَالَى.' But Allah punished me because my sister was poor; I did not cooperate with her and severed ties of kinship (Qata-e-Rahmi). Allah cast me into Hell because of severing family ties." Look, he was a very pious man, widely renowned for his righteousness, and people used to entrust him with their valuables, but he got caught in punishment due to cutting off relationships. Just as maintaining family ties (Silah-e-Rahmi) is commanded during life, similarly, even after leaving this world, one should behave with kindness towards the friends of one's parents. ------------------------------------------------------- Book: Naik Amaal ko Zaya Karne Wale Gunah (Page: 222-223) Author: Maulana Muhammad Noman Sahib Narrator: Anas Memon Palanpuri

• Anas Memon Palanpuri