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SEVERING KINSHIP

1911

“Lady Ayesha, wife of the Prophet, Mother of Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, was told that Abdullah the son of Zubair had said regarding the sale or a gift she had given him, ‘If Lady Ayesha, does not refrain (from all this generosity) I will place her wealth under guardianship.’ She asked, ‘Did he really say that?’ And was told that he had. Thereupon she declared, ‘I swear in the Name of Allah I shall never speak to ibn Zubair.’

The period became long, so ibn Zubair asked someone to go to her and intercede on his behalf. But she declined saying, ‘I shall accept no intercession on his behalf, neither will I rescind my vow.’

A long time passed and ibn Zubair approached Miswar the son of Makhramah and Abdur Rahman the son of Aswad, the son of Abd Yaghuth and said to them, ‘I request you in the Name of Allah to take me to Lady Ayesha, because it is not lawful that she has vowed to sever our relationship.’

So they took him with them covered in a sheet and went to Lady Ayesha, and called out, ‘Peace be on you and the Mercy of Allah and His Blessings. May we have your permission to enter?’ She said, ‘You may enter.’ They asked, ‘All of us?’ She replied, ‘Yes, all of you’ not knowing that ibn Zubair was with them. When they entered, ibn Zubair went behind the screen and then holding on to Lady Ayesha, his maternal aunt, began to weep as he pleaded with her. His two companions also pleaded that she should talk to him and accept his apology. They asked her, ‘Are you aware that the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, has forbidden the severing of relationships and has said that it is unlawful for a Muslim to stay away from a fellow Muslim for more than three days?’ They were persistent in their plea and she also reminded them of the rights of kinship and started to weep. Then she said, ‘I have made a vow which is very severe.’ But still they continued to plead until she relented and at last spoke to ibn Zubair.

As an expiation of her vow she freed forty slaves. Whenever the incident was mentioned to her thereafter, she would weep so much that her scarf became soaked with tears.”

Bukhari with a chain up to Auf the son of Malik, son of Tufail who related this.

FAMILY OBLIGATIONS & MANNERS

Allah, the Exalted says:

“Order your family to pray and be patient in it.” 20:132 Koran

“Believers,

guard yourselves and guard your families against the Fire

the fuel of which is people and stones.....” 66:6 Koran