RENEWING the ties of kinship and maintaining good relations with one's close family members is one of the key teachings of Islam. In Islam, the concept of family is not confined to the parents and children, but it does also include relatives like uncles, aunts and cousins. Close relatives have rights and obligations secured by the Shariah and visiting next of kin is classified as one of the greatest virtues of a Muslim. Any nation with strong bonds of kinship among its members will make a solid society. Islam promises one who maintains the bonds of kinship with a great reward and menaced one who severs the ties with the toughest punishment. "A person who severs the bond of kinship will not enter Paradise," the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was quoted as saying. Ramadan is the best time to resolve conflicts, mend differences and bury the hatchet. Al-Riyadh daily investigates how Muslims in Saudi Arabia are making use of the golden opportunity to build and maintain relations with next of kin. Dr. Aqeel Al-Aqeel, an associate professor of Comparative Islamic Jurisprudence, Supreme Judiciary Institute, says the Holy Qur'an and Prophet's Sayings emphasize the importance of keeping ties of kinship strong and close. "A good Muslim should make advantage of Ramadan and get closer to his relatives and try to end any existing differences or conflicts. Even if your relatives are not keen to maintain good bonds of kinship with you, you should take the initiative and get closer to them for the sake of God," he said. These days one does not need to visit his relatives physically in order to show his love for them. Social media websites can be used as a cheap means of communication to help relatives keep in touch with one another constantly when they cannot visit or if they live in distant places. This month is the best time to strengthen one's relationships with relatives, Al-Aqeel said. Dr. Khalid Al-Hulaibi, director of Family Welfare Center in Al-Ahsa, said close family members do not keep in touch with one another as they used to do in the past. He said rapid technological advancements and the spread of social media platforms are responsible to some extent for this alienation among blood relatives. Another reason is the parents' failure to explain to children the importance of maintaining good bonds with relatives and constantly keeping touch with them. "We have to remember that our relatives will be the ones who will be by our side with support always, no matter what. Even if we have differences, they still will rise to the occasion, look beyond those differences and come to our side in times of need. There is no time like Ramadan to strengthen our relationships with our relatives," he said. Dr. Salih Al-Subaee, a sociologist, said the changes that society has witnessed over the past few decades have kept relatives aloof. Today, a relative who pays an unexpected visit to his next of kin will be frowned upon while in the past relatives visited one another so frequently without any need for notifying in advance. "The rapid technological advancements have undermined the importance of kinship. People prefer to spend hours on social media websites than visiting a relative. Some of them send SMS messages on the occasion of Ramadan and Eid. Those are not aware of the great reward Allah has for anyone who visits his relative and stay in touch," he said.
