to those who are bad to us.’ It is for this reason that some people only invite those relatives in their weddings and other functions who invite them in their functions, or they have any vested interest in them.

On the other side of the spectrum, whoever cannot use his relatives for his own gain will abandon speaking to them entirely, not even giving Salam. The very same applies if a person’s relatives are too poor to host them, or if they take Zakat.

In short, the spirit of affection, sincerity and devotion which was found in previous times, seems to have faded away amongst families. Whereas, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated: “Do not cut ties with one another, do not turn your back, do not keep hatred, do not bear jealousy, and O servants of Allah Almighty! Become brothers with one another. It is not permissible for any Muslim to cut ties with his brother for more than three days.”^[1]

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                                            صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Dear Islamic brothers! There was a time when each and every Muslim was extremely respectful, observed good manners, protected the dignity of one another and possessed excellent character. They were true reflections of following the Sunnah.

A child would not look into the eyes of their parents when speaking, nor would a student do the same when speaking to their teacher. During conversation, they would look down (out of respect). They would lower their voice and follow instructions. They would show respect even in their absence and would refer to them by their titles instead of saying their names. They would regard their rank and status at all times, and would treat elders and the young accordingly.

Sadly, now almost all of us are unaware of these Islamic rules of decorum, ethical codes, good manners, etiquettes and Shar’i rulings. Everyone is struggling hard to excel in indecency and unethical attitude, trampling the honour and sanctity of our societal family system.