Is the severance of ties with female cousins due to their backbiting considered a cutting off of kinship, which prevents entry into Paradise and incurs God's wrath?
Kinship (Rahim) is of two types: kinship that must be maintained and is forbidden to sever, which includes all unmarriageable kin (mahram), such as paternal uncles and aunts; and kinship that is disliked to sever and recommended to maintain, which includes all marriageable kin (non-mahram), such as paternal cousins and maternal female cousins. Maternal female cousins are not among the kin whose ties Allah has made obligatory to maintain, but it is recommended to maintain ties with them, and it is disliked to sever them. Their involvement in backbiting (namimah) does not necessitate shunning them entirely. One can maintain ties with them by inquiring about them and checking on them without harm or falling into something forbidden. Maintaining ties (silah) includes visiting, calling, corresponding, and greeting, and anything that is customarily considered a connection. Gatherings with them must be gatherings of goodness and obedience. If backbiting occurs, it must be denounced, and the conversation should be redirected to beneficial speech.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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