In the year 131 A.

In the year 131 A.H. there was a terrible plague. All the relatives of the man perished. Thereafter when he arrived before Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), he (Imam a.s.) asked, “How are your relatives?” The man said, “By Allah all of them are dead.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Their deaths have been due to their ill-treatment and Qat’a ar-Rahm of relatives like you, not recognizing your right and cutting off relationships.” Bereft of Divine Mercy Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) relates from the Holy Prophet (S) that he said: “When people claim to possess knowledge but do not act upon it, when they claim to profess love but harbour malice in their hearts and sever relations, in such a condition Allah removes mercy from them and makes them undiscerning to logic.[^5] The Holy Prophet (S) says: “Among the various sins, injustice and cutting off relationships are such that one who commits these is punished in this world itself.

Apart from this the punishment for these sinners has already been prepared in the Hereafter.” ^6 At another occasion the Holy Prophet (S) has informed: “One who severs relationships will not enter Heaven.” Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari (r.a.) has related from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) that he quotes the Holy Prophet (S) as follows: “Jibrīl (a.s.) has informed me that even at a distance of a thousand years man will be able to smell the fragrance of Heaven , but one who disobeys his parents, the one who breaks ties with the kith and kin, or the aged adulterer will not be able to smell it.

In fact, the fragrance of Paradise will be felt even at a distance of two thousand years, but not by those who disobey their parents and those who break ties with the relatives.” The exalted Prophet of Islam (S) has also informed that the invocation of the person who breaks family ties shall not be answered.