RELEVANCE OF SELECTED AḤᾹDῙTH ON ṢILATU'R-RAḤIM IN ṢAḤῙḤ MUSLIMTO ETHICAL ISSUES AMONG CONTEMPORARY MUSLIM YOUTHS

Abstract

Upholding kinship ties (ṣilatu'r-raḥim) occupies a central position in Islamic legal and ethical
thought. There is a noticeable severing of ties (qaṭī῾atu'r- raḥim) which is weakening bonds among
Muslim youths in the contemporary society, influenced by the dynamics of urbanization,
individualism, and digital isolation leading to families' estrangement and loss of communal
solidarity. This paper aims to examine the relevance of selected aḥādīth in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim on ṣilatu'rraḥim to ethical issues among contemporary Muslim youths. Analytical and phenomenological
methods are adopted in the research. Analytical method is used to analyse the selected aḥādīth on
kinship while phenomenological method is applied for presentation of relevance of the study in
solving the contemporary problem associated with upholding kinship ties. Findings show that
digital isolation and individualism are factors that threaten upholding of kinship ties among
Muslims. The paper concludes that ṣilatu'r-raḥim is both a theological obligation and a practical
framework for social well-being. Therefore, the study recommends that Muslim youths should
consciously revive family-centered ethics by employing both traditional and modern means of
maintaining ties, resisting individualism, and embodying prophetic models of compassion,
patience, and reconciliation