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The question

What is the ruling on shunning relatives who have wronged the family, knowing that the family feels abandoned?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

True connection is established by responding to ill-treatment with kindness, ignorance with forbearance, withholding with giving, and injustice with forgiveness, seeking reward from Allah. Imam Muslim narrated from Abu Hurayrah that a man complained to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, about his relatives cutting ties with him, mistreating him, and acting ignorantly towards him, despite his kindness and forbearance towards them. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "If you are as you say, then it is as if you are feeding them hot ashes, and you will continue to have a supporter from Allah against them as long as you remain in that state." Imam An-Nawawi explained that "feeding them hot ashes" means feeding them hot ash, which causes them great pain and sin due to their cutting ties, while no blame falls upon the one who shows kindness. It was also said that its meaning is that your kindness shames and humiliates them in their own eyes, or that your kindness is like hot ashes burning their insides.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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