Allah (SWT) alipokataza ukabila wa Jahiliyyah, alikataza tu kwamba ukabila uwe kifungo kati ya watoto wa Ummah, na alikataza kwamba utawale mahusiano kati ya Waislamu. Hata hivyo, aliwaamuru watu kudumisha mawasiliano na jamaa zao na kuwafanyia wema. Imepokewa kwamba mtu mmoja alimuuliza Mtume ﷺ: "Niwafanyie wema nani?" Akasema: "Mama yako, baba yako, dada yako na kaka yako." Katika toleo jingine: "Na jamaa yako wa karibu zaidi kwako, kama haki na wajibu, na kifungo cha undugu (Rahm) ambacho unapaswa kuwafanyia wema." Asmaa binti Abu Bakr alisema: "Mama yangu, ambaye alikuwa mpagani, alinijia wakati wa mkataba kati ya Waislamu na Quraish. Nilimwendea Mtume ﷺ kuomba ushauri, nikisema: 'Mama yangu amefika, na anatarajia (wema) wangu.' Mtume ﷺ akasema: 'Ndiyo, mfanyie wema mama yako.'"

When Allah (swt) forbade the tribalism of Jahiliyah He only forbade that tribalism should be the bond between the sons of the Ummah, and He forbade that it controls the relationships amongst the Muslims. However, He ordered people to maintain contact with relatives and show kindness to them. It has been reported that a man asked the Prophet (pbuh) : “who shall I show kindness to?” He said: “Your mother, father, sister and brother.” In another version: “And your (Mawla) relation who is closer to you, as a right and duty and a tie of relationship (Rahm) which you should be kind to.” Asmaa bint Abu Bakr said: “My mother who was a pagan, came to see me during the period of the treaty between the Muslims and Quraish. I went to seek the advice of the Prophet (pbuh) saying: ‘My mother has arrived and she is hoping (for my favour).” The Prophet said: “Yes, be good to your mother”.

Uislamu umewagawanya jamaa katika makundi mawili: kwanza, jamaa ambao inawezekana kurithi kutoka kwao wanapofariki; na pili, jamaa wa upande wa mama (Ulu al-Arham). Wanaostahili kurithi ni wale wenye sehemu maalum ya urithi (Ashab al-Furud) na jamaa wa upande wa baba (Asabat). Ama jamaa wa upande wa mama (Ulu al-Arham), wao ni tofauti na hao; ni wale wasiokuwa na sehemu yoyote katika urithi, wala hawako katika jamaa wa upande wa baba. Wao ni makundi kumi: mjomba wa upande wa mama (Khal) na shangazi wa upande wa mama (Khala), babu wa upande wa mama (Jadd li al-umm), mwana wa binti na mwana wa dada, binti wa kaka, binti wa mjomba wa upande wa baba na shangazi wa upande wa baba, mjomba wa nusu upande wa baba, mwana wa kaka wa nusu, na yeyote anayejitangaza kuwa mmoja wao. Allah (SWT) hakuwapa watu hao sehemu yoyote katika urithi wa mtu, wala matumizi yao si wajibu juu ya mtu. Hata hivyo, Allah (SWT) ameamuru kudumisha mahusiano mema na kuwatendea wema jamaa wote. Jabir (ra) amesimulia kwamba Mtume ﷺ alisema: "Ikiwa mmoja wenu ni maskini, na aanze na nafsi yake; na ikiwa mmoja wenu ana ziada ya mali, na awatumie wanafamilia wake; na ikiwa mmoja wenu ana ziada zaidi, na aitumie kwa jamaa zake." Imesimuliwa na Abu Ayyub: Mtu mmoja alimwambia Mtume ﷺ, "Niambie tendo litakaloniingiza Peponi." Watu wakasema, "Kulikoni naye? Kulikoni naye?" Mtume ﷺ akasema, "Ana jambo la kuuliza." Kisha Mtume ﷺ akasema: "(Ili kuingia Peponi) mwabudu Allah wala usimshirikishe chochote, dumisha sala kikamilifu, toa Zakat, na udumishe mahusiano mema na jamaa zako." Hivyo basi, aliamuru kudumishwa kwa mahusiano mema. Swali linaweza kuulizwa: Ni jamaa gani wanaokusudiwa katika Hadith hizi? Je, ni jamaa wa upande wa mama (Ulu al-Arham) peke yao, au kila mtu anayehusiana na Rahm ya mtu huyo? Hadith zinaonyesha kwamba kudumisha uhusiano mzuri kunawahusu jamaa wote, iwe ni jamaa wa karibu ambao hawezi kuoana nao (Mahram), jamaa wasio Mahram kutoka upande wa baba (Asaba), au jamaa kutoka upande wa mama. Kuna hadith nyingi kuhusu kudumisha uhusiano wa kifamilia (Silat ar-rahm). Mtume ﷺ alisema: "Asiyeingia Peponi ni yule anayekata uhusiano na jamaa zake." Ilipokewa na Anas bin Malik kwamba Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ alisema: "Yeyote anayependa apewe riziki zaidi na umri wake uongezwe, basi na adumishe uhusiano mzuri na jamaa zake." Ilipokewa na Abu Hurayra kwamba Mtume ﷺ alisema: "Allah alipomaliza kuumba viumbe vyake, rahm ilisimama na kusema: Najikinga kwako na al-qat'ia (kukatwa kwa uhusiano na mimi)." Hapo Allah (SWT) akasema: "Je, hauridhii kwamba nimpe fadhila zangu yule anayedumisha uhusiano wako, na nimnyime fadhila zangu yule anayekata uhusiano wako?" Ikasema, "Ndiyo, Ee Mola wangu!" Kisha Allah (SWT) akasema: "Basi hilo ni lako." Kisha Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ akasema:

Islam has divided the relations into two catogaries; firstly the relations from whom it is possible to inherit when they die. And secondly the relatives from the maternal side (Ulu al-Arham). As for the ones who have the right to inherit they are the ones entitled to a statutory portion of inheritance (Ashab al-Furud) and the agnate relations (relatives on the paternal side) (Asabat). As for relatives on the mothers side (Ulu al-Arham) they are different from the former; they are the ones who have no share in inheritance nor are they from the agnate relations. They include ten categories: The maternal uncle (Khal) and aunt (Khala), maternal grandfather (Jadd li al-umm), son of the daughter and son of the sister, daughter of the brother, daughter of the paternal uncle and paternal aunt, and the half paternal uncle, son of the half brother and whoever declares to be one of them. Allah (swt) did not give those people any share in the inheritance of the person nor is their maintenance an obligation on the person. However Allah (swt) ordered the maintaining of good relations and being kind to all the relatives. Jabir (ra) narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “If any one of you is poor let Him start with Himself and if any one of you has surplus (wealth) let Him spend on his family, and if any of you has further surplus let Him spend it on his relatives.” Narrated Abu Ayyub: A man said to the Prophet (pbuh) “Tell me of such a deed as will make me enter Paradise .” The people said, “What is the matter with Him? What is the matter with Him?” The Prophet (pbuh) said, “He has something to ask”. The Prophet (pbuh) said: “(In order to enter Paradise) you should worship Allah and do not ascribe any partners to Him, offer prayer perfectly, pay the Zakat and keep good relations with your Kith and kin.” Thus, He ordered the keeping of good relations. It may be asked: Who are the relations meant in these Ahadith? Are they only the maternal side (Ulu al-Arham) or anyone related to the Rahm of the person! The Ahadith indicate that keeping good relations include all the relatives whether they are relatives from the unmarriageable degrees (Mahram), a non-Mahram from the Asaba (relations on the paternal side/agnates) or the relatives from the maternal side. There exist a number of Ahadith concerning the keeping of good relations (Silat ar-rahm). He (pbuh) said: “The one who severes ties with the relations will not enter Paradise”. It was narrated by Anas b. Malik that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Whoever loves that He be granted more wealth, and that his lease of life be prolonged, then He should keep good relations with his kith and kin”. It is narrated by Abu Hurayra that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Allah created his creation, and when He finished it, the womb got up and said, I seek refuge with you from Al-qatia (ties being severed with me).” On that Allah (pbuh) said: “Don’t you accept that I bestow my favours on Him who keeps your ties, and withhold My favours from Him who severes your ties?” On that it said, “Yes, Oh my Lord!” Then Allah (swt) said: “That is for you”. Then the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“Ikiwa mnataka, someni: Je, basi mkipewa mamlaka, mtafanya uharibifu duniani na kukata mafungamano yenu ya undugu?” [Muhammad: 22] Yeye ﷺ alisema: “Mwenye kuunga udugu (Al-Wasil) si yule anayelipa wema aliotendewa na jamaa zake, bali Al-Wasil ni yule anayedumisha uhusiano mzuri na jamaa wale waliokata uhusiano wa undugu naye.” Yote haya yanaonyesha kuhimizwa kudumisha uhusiano mzuri na jamaa.

“If you wish, you can recite: Would you then if you were given authority, do mischief in the land and sever your ties of kinship?” [Muhammmad: 22] He (pbuh) said: “The Al-wasil (the one who keeps good ties with kith and kin) is not the one who recompenses the good done to Him by his relatives, but Al-Wasil is the one who keeps good relations with those relatives who had severed the bond of kinship with Him.” All of this indicates the exhortation to keep good relations with kith and kin.

Silat ar-Rahm (kudumisha mahusiano mema ya kifamilia) inaonyesha umuhimu wa kile ambacho Allah (SWT) ameweka kuwa sheria kuhusu kudumisha mahusiano mema na ya kirafiki ndani ya jamii ya Kiislamu, katika kuhifadhi mahusiano mema na ushirikiano kati ya jamaa, na kiwango ambacho Shari'ah inajali kupanga mikutano ya wanaume na wanawake na kupanga yanayotokana na mkutano huo kwa upande wa mahusiano (Alaqat) na chochote kinachotokana nayo. Hivyo basi, Shari'ah ya Kiislamu, kupitia kanuni ilizoweka kwa upande wa kijamii katika jamii, inatoa mfumo bora kabisa wa kijamii kwa binadamu.

The Silat ar-Rahm (keeping good relations) indicates the importance of what Allah (swt) has legislated regarding the keeping of good and friendly relations within the Islamic community, in the maintaining of good relations and co-operation between relatives, and the extent of the Shari’ah concern to organise the meeting of men and women and organise what results from this meeting in terms of the relationships (Alaqat) and whatever branches out from it. Hence the Islamic Shar’a, through the rules which it legislated for the social aspect in the society, provides the best social system for mankind.