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Cutting off ties with a non-Muslim sister

29-03-1998

Question 701

I entered Islaam five years ago, and my family find it hard to accept. My sister cut off ties with me for a year, then she got in touch and asked me to forgive her, which I did. But she has not stopped insulting my Islaam and attacking me at every chance she gets. I told her several times that she is hurting me, but she didn’t stop. After years of suffering, I sent her a letter telling me to contact me only if her attitude changed, otherwise, not to get in touch. Did I do the right thing?

Answer

Praise be to Allah.



Because of the insults that you suffered, there is nothing wrong with what you did, in sha Allaah. This would not be considered as "breaking family ties", and it may give her the opportunity to think about what she has done.

Al-‘Allaamah al’Safaareeni, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in his book Ghidhaa’ al-Albaab: "Ibn Abi Hamzah said: ‘The ties of kinship may be by money, by helping at times of need, by warding off harm, by meeting them with a smiling face, and by praying for them. The general meaning is that one helps them in good ways as much as possible and helps them to resist or fight evil as much as possible. This is the case if one’s relatives are righteous, but if they are kaafirs or are wrongdoers, then cutting off ties with them for the sake of Allaah is how one maintains the tie, on the condition that one tries to warn them, and tells them that the reason for cutting the ties is because of their deviation from the truth. At the same time, the connection of making du’aa’ for them should remain, and you should pray for them in their absence that Allaah will guide them to the Right Path. (al-Tuhfah: Ghidha’ al-Albaab, 1/356).

And Allaah knows best.
Keeping Contact with Kinship
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