“The womb (kinship) is suspended from the Throne, saying: ‘Whoever maintains ties with me, Allah will maintain ties with him; and whoever severs me, Allah will sever him.’”
Reported by Muslim (no. 2555), from the narration of ʿĀʾishah — may Allah be pleased with her.
Brief Explanation of the Hadith
Allah, the Exalted, has magnified the status of the womb (ties of kinship) and made it one of the greatest means of attaining His closeness and care. Whoever severs it exposes himself to the gravest causes of being distanced from His mercy.
In this hadith, the Prophet — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — informs that the womb is suspended from the Throne, meaning it clings to the Throne of the Most Merciful, seeking refuge with Him from being severed. It proclaims the obligation of maintaining it and warns against cutting it off by saying: “Whoever maintains ties with me, Allah will maintain ties with him; and whoever severs me, Allah will sever him.”
Whoever maintains his ties of kinship—by showing kindness to them through his wealth, service, visiting them, writing to them, inquiring about them, and other means that foster affection—Allah, the Exalted, will connect him with His immense kindness, bless his provision and lifespan, and pour upon him goodness and blessings.
And whoever severs them by neglecting to maintain and show kindness to them, Allah will cut him off from the fullness of His care, the beauty of His kindness, and the greatness of His mercy—in just recompense for his deed.
Relatives (al-arḥām) are a person’s kin connected to him by the bond of lineage, whether from the father’s side or the mother’s side—such as grandparents, brothers and sisters, paternal uncles and aunts, maternal uncles and aunts, and their children.
Maintaining the ties of kinship varies according to closeness or distance; the closer the relation, the more obligatory the connection, and the greater the sin in severing it—and vice versa.
The hadith affirms the obligation of maintaining kinship and warns against severing it.
It also shows that the recompense is of the same nature as the deed—whoever maintains his kinship, Allah will maintain him.
It further indicates the nearness of the womb (ties of kinship) to Allah, Exalted is He, as it is suspended from the Throne—pointing to its honor, lofty status with Allah, and the swift acceptance of its supplication.