What should the questioner do regarding the dispute that occurred between her brother and her maternal aunt's children, which led to their shunning of her and her sister, and would she be sinful if she cut ties with her maternal aunt's children?

Maintaining kinship ties (Silat ar-Rahim) is obligatory, and severing them is forbidden. A maternal aunt is akin to a mother, so it is impermissible to sever ties with them. Your duty is to maintain ties with them in a befitting manner.

You are not obligated to attend the weekly meeting. Kinship ties are not limited to visits; they are also maintained through anything customarily considered a connection, such as financial support, fulfilling needs, writing, and correspondence.

If you fear the anger of your maternal aunts for not attending the meeting, use wisdom, tact, and offer apologies with gentle words. You are permitted to use indirect expressions (Ma'arid).

Maintaining ties with the children of maternal aunts is not obligatory, but it is commendable to do so in a befitting manner. However, the absence of obligation does not permit abandonment or severing ties, for it is impermissible for a Muslim to abandon his brother for more than three days. Abandonment ceases with a mere greeting or returning a greeting.