Is a person held accountable for disliking his niqab-wearing, Qur'an-memorizing sister, who severs ties of kinship and behaves harshly, knowing that interaction with her is limited to holiday greetings and incidental encounters?

The nature of maintaining kin ties (silat al-rahim) and severing them varies with circumstances and customs. The lowest degree of maintaining ties is greeting with peace (salam). Therefore, whoever abandons giving greetings severs kin ties. It was narrated from Imam Ahmad that he said: "Kindness and greetings" regarding maintaining kin ties. And it came in the hadith: "Moisten your kin ties, even with a greeting."

As long as you do not abandon your sister, you are not severing her kin ties. It is more appropriate to strive to maintain ties with her according to your ability, for maintaining ties has degrees, and its lowest degree is to avoid abandoning and to maintain ties through speech, even if only with a greeting. This differs according to ability and need, as some forms are obligatory and some are recommended. Whoever maintains some ties but does not achieve their ultimate extent is not considered a severer of ties, and whoever falls short of what they are capable of is not considered a maintainer of ties.

Among the greatest ways to maintain ties with her is enjoining good and forbidding evil for her, and offering her advice. If she has shortcomings, your heart should expand with mercy for her, and you should hope for her guidance, while still denouncing the evil and hating the disobedience.