Is a mother sinful if she limits her kinship ties to occasions only, due to her difficult psychological circumstances?
Maintaining kinship ties has various levels, the lowest of which is refraining from severance, even if it's merely through greeting. Muthanna said to Abu Abdullah: "A man has female relatives who do not stand before him. What is due upon him regarding their kindness? And how often should he visit them?" He replied: "Gentleness and greetings." And in the : "Moisten your kinship ties, even if by a greeting."
Al-Qadi Iyad said: "There are degrees of kinship ties, some higher than others. The lowest of them is refraining from abandonment, and maintaining connection through speech, even if it's a greeting. This varies according to ability and need. Some are obligatory, and some are recommended. If one maintains some level of connection but does not reach its ultimate extent, he is not called a severer. And if he falls short of what he is capable of and ought to do, he is not called a maintainer."
Therefore, if the mother maintains her kinship ties on Eids and the like, and limits herself to that due to her psychological illness, she is not considered a severer of ties. Indeed, if she does not connect with them at all due to her illness and not by her choice, there is no blame upon her for that.
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Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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