In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful

Our Lady Fatima Zahra, peace be upon her, in her eloquent sermon, known as the "Fadak" sermon, says: "Maintaining family ties prolongs life;[1] maintaining family ties is a means of lengthening life."

"Maintaining family ties" (Silat ur-Rahm) holds a high status and value in religious culture. The benefits and blessings of this blessed Islamic tradition are numerous and plentiful. In this passage of her speech, she points to one of the important characteristics of this tradition: the lengthening of life, which we will examine further.

The literary points and rhetorical subtleties embedded in the words of this sentence deserve separate study and analysis. However, in this writing, apart from the literary aspects of the speech, we will examine the topic it raises, namely the effect of maintaining family ties on longevity.

First, let us give a clear definition of "Arham" (family ties). Arham refers to the group of people who share a common womb, meaning those who are descended from the same womb, or whose lineages are connected through a common ancestor. In this group, individuals are considered "Arham" to each other, such as uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents. All of these are connected to one womb or have a relationship with it. The general relationship between these individuals is more general than the relationships of uncles, brothers, and the like; it is the relationship of kinship or, more simply, family.

God Almighty has established special rulings on this important matter, some of which are obligatory, some prohibited, and some considered disliked. A large part of it also falls under recommended acts (Mustahabbat).

The effects and benefits of maintaining family ties shine on many aspects of people's lives. Some are material and their effects are seen in this world, while others are great benefits and blessings that befall the one who maintains family ties in the hereafter. Severing family ties will also see its unpleasant consequences in the afterlife. Maintaining or severing family ties will be accounted for in the next world. From the very first days of placing the deceased in the grave, he will be questioned about maintaining family ties. Among the things that please him in the grave is the maintenance of family ties that he performed, which leads to his salvation. If, God forbid, he has severed family ties, he will be afflicted because of it. In this way, in many situations in the hereafter, he must answer for his family ties.

The Secret of Increased Lifespan

Lady Fatima Zahra, peace be upon her, in her sermon reveals one of the worldly effects of this sacred duty, and that is the lengthening of a person's lifespan—this is a worldly effect of maintaining family ties.

We said that maintaining family ties has worldly effects as well. Many of the common knots of life are untied by maintaining family ties. Common economic and social problems, physical and mental illnesses, and many other things can arise as a result of severing family ties. Our Lady Fatima al-Zahra, peace be upon her, considered maintaining family ties as a means of extending life and reminded Muslims of the importance of this sacred duty.

A person's lifespan is the period of time granted to him to live in this world. Its length is not the same for all people and is predetermined for each person, for example, twenty years, forty years, seventy years, and so on. When this time limit is reached, he will not live a moment less or more, but—as Our Lady Fatima, peace be upon her, says—a person's life will be longer with the maintenance of family ties. Conversely, abandoning it and severing family ties can shorten life.

Therefore, maintaining family ties will change God's decree and add to a person's years of life, expanding the framework and limits of life. Naturally, this expansion cannot be from the beginning of life and at the time of birth, meaning it will not cause someone to be born sooner, but it will delay death.

Lady Fatima Zahra's reference to an increase in lifespan is valuable in that believers, the longer they live, will have more opportunities to perform good deeds. An extra hour can be an opportunity to perform a good deed or advise someone, in addition to their other good existential effects. Therefore, if someone spends their life on the right path and always strives to please God, the more their life is extended, the higher their status will be in the hereafter, and their book of deeds will be fuller.

It is narrated about a scholar that a young man approached him and told him that he intended to commit suicide. The scholar said that the young man told him that he had only confided his decision to him and had not informed anyone else so that no one would prevent him. The scholar said to him: I have a request of you. The young man immediately replied: If your request is that I not commit suicide, no, I will not accept. The scholar said to him: No, I have another request. The young man said: That's fine. Whatever it is, tell me. The scholar said to him: Will you keep your word? The young man said: Yes, I will keep my word.

A scholar said, "You've decided to commit suicide at ten o'clock tomorrow. I ask you to delay it by one hour and do it at eleven." The young man hesitated slightly and asked, "What good will that do you?" The scholar replied, "You've already made your decision, and living an extra hour won't harm you."

The young man agreed. The next day at eleven o'clock, he returned to the scholar. He was somewhat hesitant in his decision. That one hour had caused him to reflect and slightly lessened the certainty of his decision. With the scholar's continued guidance and further reflection, the young man gradually changed his mind and abandoned his suicidal plan.

That single sentence from the scholar was incredibly helpful and saved the young man's life. He lived a long life afterward and accomplished many good deeds. If it weren't for the scholar's advice and guidance, the young man might have destroyed himself in that critical moment when his emotions overwhelmed him. The scholar's request for an extra hour was a testament to the power of time. That extra hour saved the young man. Adding even an hour to a person's life can bring significant benefit to themselves and others. Therefore, a long life is desirable and commendable for good people.

The Consequence of Severing Family Ties

Just as maintaining family ties (Silat ar-Rahm) is commendable and recommended, severing them is disliked and forbidden in the narrations of the Infallible Imams (peace be upon them). Maintaining family ties can extend one's remaining three years of life to thirty, and conversely, severing them can reduce a thirty-year lifespan to three. This means a person's predetermined lifespan can be increased or decreased by maintaining or severing family ties. We know that predetermined matters don't change easily; therefore, the length of a person's life is influenced by the value they place on maintaining family connections. The unethical behavior of severing family ties is very influential in reducing a person's lifespan.

Many narrations and stories exist on this topic. One famous story is about Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him). This narration, with authentic chains of transmission, goes back to the time when Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) was hiding in a house in Mecca to escape the harm of Mansur Dawaniqi, the Abbasid Caliph.

After martyring Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), Mansur Dawaniqi decided to eliminate the Prophet's family (peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny) completely. To this end, he inquired about whom Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) had chosen as his successor. Eventually, by placing spies everywhere, he discovered that Imam Musa ibn Ja'far (peace be upon him) was his father's successor among his brothers. Therefore, he decided to eliminate him at any cost. For this purpose, he secretly sent someone to Medina to assassinate the Imam.

There's no doubt that God granted the Infallibles (peace be upon them) the power and authority to perform any miracle, but they didn't use their miraculous powers everywhere, only when absolutely necessary. The Imam, with God's help, knew of Mansur's plan and the person tasked with carrying it out (whose name and details are recorded in history). To prevent Mansur from carrying out his intention, under the cover of night and darkness, without anyone knowing where he was going, the Imam left Medina.

The Imam went to Mecca without anyone's knowledge and stayed in a house unknown to others. To avoid being recognized, he didn't leave the house during the day and only went to the Haram Mosque at night for worship and prayer. Mansur Dawaniqi ruled the Islamic realm at that time, and his agents monitored everything. In this oppressive atmosphere, Imam Musa ibn Ja'far (peace be upon him) remained hidden in Mecca anonymously.

Stories and narrations from this period of the Imam's life exist. We will recount one of them below.

During this short period, only a few of the Imam's special companions knew his hiding place. This small number served the Imam, relayed the problems of the Shias, and the Imam resolved the people's difficulties through them.

One day, the Imam told one of his companions to go to the Haram Mosque the next day. He would see a person with certain characteristics, which he described. He also told the companion what the person would ask and how to respond.

A man was brought before Imam Musa al-Kazim (peace be upon him), as per the Imam's instruction. Upon seeing him, the Imam asked, "Where is your brother?" The man replied, "My brother and I were coming to you together, but midway, in the village of [the Imam then named the village, which the man had forgotten], he remained behind, and I came on."

The Imam said, "Shall I tell you what happened, or shall you tell me?" The man replied, "You tell me." The Imam said, "You two brothers were together until you reached that place. Then you had a disagreement, argued, and insulted each other. Therefore, you both severed ties." (The Imam explained that severing ties can be one-sided, with one person cutting off the relationship while the other doesn't, or mutual, as in this case.)

The Imam continued, "Because you severed ties, it was decreed that your deaths would be near. Your brother will die shortly after reaching his city and home." And so it happened. Later, the brother's death was confirmed, exactly as the Imam had foretold.

The Imam then said, "Your death was also decreed, and you were to die soon. But on the way, you visited your aunt. This act of maintaining family ties (silat al-rahm) extended your life and delayed your death."

Some narrations add that the man asked how much his life was extended, and the Imam replied, "Twenty years." Other narrations mention that the narrator of this story said he made the pilgrimage to Mecca for twenty years and saw his brother each year, but in the twenty-first year, he did not see him.

This narration highlights both the positive (maintaining family ties) and negative (severing family ties) aspects. Both brothers suffered a shortening of their lives due to severing their ties; one died, while the other had his life extended by twenty years due to maintaining family ties.

The effect of maintaining family ties on one's lifespan is a proven fact, reflected in many narrations from the Imams (peace be upon them).

Beyond the religious ruling on severing ties and its effect on lifespan, maintaining family ties has many benefits. A longer life can be filled with good deeds and worship. One might solve someone's problem or perform an act of kindness, increasing their chances of achieving happiness in the hereafter.

Therefore, one should not be indifferent to their relatives. Uncles, aunts, cousins, and all relatives, near and far, should be shown care and attention.

The way of maintaining family ties varies. Sometimes it's financial, involving giving money or gifts. Sometimes it's visiting and checking in. Even a simple greeting in the street or a phone call can be considered maintaining family ties. One should strive to maintain family ties in various ways and never sever ties with relatives.

As mentioned, severing ties, or estrangement, can be one-sided or mutual. Even if someone distances themselves from us, we shouldn't distance ourselves from them. This requires strong will and determination, a decision that leads to happiness for oneself and others in this world and the hereafter. Hopefully, we will all maintain family ties with our acquaintances.

Peace be upon our master and prophet Muhammad and his pure progeny.

[1]. Al-Ihtijaj, Vol. 1, p. 99.

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