Silat al-Arham

Silat al-Arham: Mafhūm, wa-Faḍāʾil, wa-Ādāb, wa-Aḥkām fī Ḍawʾ al-Kitāb wa-al-Sunnah (Kinship Ties: Concept, Virtues, Etiquettes, and Rulings in Light of the Quran and Sunnah) is a concise Islamic legal and moral treatise by the Saudi scholar Saeed bin Ali bin Wahf al-Qahtani (d. 1440 AH / 2018 CE) Silat al-Arham. The work examines the obligation of maintaining familial bonds and the prohibition of severing them according to the texts of the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah Silat al-Arham.

Composition and Purpose

The treatise was completed after the ʿAṣr prayer on Thursday, 2 Jumādā al-Ūlā 1426 AH, in Riyadh Silat al-Arham. Al-Qahtani, writing under his kunya Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, intended the work to serve as a focused guide defining the linguistic and Islamic legal concepts of maintaining ties of kinship (ṣilat al-arḥām) and severing them (qaṭīʿat al-arḥām), and establishing the relevant textual proofs regarding their rulings, virtues, and etiquettes Silat al-Arham+1.

Structure and Contents

The treatise is organized into three primary sections following an introduction:

• Linguistic and Technical Definitions of Kinship Ties: Al-Qahtani defines ṣilah linguistically and cites Ibn al-Athir's explanation of ṣilat al-raḥim as an expression for treating relatives and in-laws with benevolence, compassion, and care Silat al-Arham. In Islamic terminology, he defines it as extending goodness to relatives according to circumstances, which manifests through financial aid, service, visitation, greeting with peace, a pleasant demeanor, sincere advice, repelling injustice, and forgiveness Silat al-Arham.
• Linguistic and Technical Definitions of Severing Ties: The author examines the root of al-qaṭīʿah (abandonment and withholding good), citing Ibn al-Athir's definition of it as forsaking benevolence toward relatives, and defines it technically as abandoning kin and neglecting kind treatment toward them Silat al-Arham.
• Rulings, Virtues, and Evidences: The third section outlines textual proofs from the Quran and authentic Sunnah demonstrating that maintaining kinship is among the greatest obligations while severing it is among the gravest sins Silat al-Arham. Al-Qahtani elaborates on several dimensions:
  1. Scriptural Commands: Quranic injunctions obligating kindness and granting rights to relatives, citing verses from Surahs Al-Baqarah, Al-Nisa, Al-Anfal, Al-Isra, Al-Rum, and Al-Ahzab Silat al-Arham+1.
  2. Virtues and Blessings: Prophetic traditions stating that upholding kinship increases lifespan, expands sustenance, secures God's mercy, and fosters affection within the family Silat al-Arham.
  3. Foundational Status in the Message: Evidence showing that kinship ties were among the earliest core teachings commanded by the Prophet ﷺ, as referenced in the dialogue between Heraclius and Abu Sufyan Silat al-Arham.
  4. Spiritual Benefits and Rewards: Traditions highlighting that it protects from humiliation, serves as a cause for entering Paradise, and is among the most beloved deeds to God after faith Silat al-Arham+1.
  5. Warnings Against Severance: Prophetic warnings indicating that severing ties prompts expedited punishment in this world alongside retribution in the hereafter, deprives one of entry into Paradise, and causes actions not to be accepted Silat al-Arham+1.
  6. Degrees of Maintaining Kinship: The distinction between the complete maintainer (al-wāṣil), who reconnects with those who cut him off; the reciprocator (al-mukāfiʾ), who only gives as much as he receives; and the severer (al-qāṭiʿ), who takes without giving Silat al-Arham.