Question:
As salamu Aleikom,
Who are my blood relatives according to Islam and what are my rights over them?
Thank you
Answer:
The first place among the blood relatives according to Qur’an is reserved for parents. No one among the relatives equals them in the status given to them by Allah. Few Qur’anic references are 2: 215, 17:23,24, 29:8 etc. After parents, other blood relations are off-springs, brothers, sisters, paternal uncles and aunts, their off-springs (i.e. first cousins from paternal side), maternal uncles and aunts, their off-springs (i.e. first cousins from maternal side) and then other relatives as well. Spouses do not categorize under blood relations.
In one Hadith Prophet (saws) said about the rights of relatives:
The foremost claim to loving kindness and thoughtful attention on you is of your mother, and, then, of your father, and then, grade by grade, of the other relatives. (Sahih Bukhari)
Our faith gives very high importance to maintaining and taking care of the blood relationships of a person. Relatives have been granted many rights in Islam, some of those are:
- If one’s close relatives are needy and unable to support themselves with the bare necessities of life, nor are they able to earn anything for themselves, then they should be helped with food and other necessaries to enable them to keep body and soul together, as one does with one’s own children, as a matter of an obligation.
- To help distant relations with necessities of life is not so obligatory, yet it is necessary to do something for them also.
- Visits should be paid to them from time to time.
- The bonds of relationship with them should not be severed. If anyone of them ever does some harm, it is better to tolerate that.
As-Salamu ‘Alaikum,
Dr. Senad Agic, Imam
SABAH – Chicago
9920 Grand Ave
Franklin Park, IL 60131
