Unmodern Aspects of Islam (8): Fragmented Families

 

Have you noticed how families today are drifting apart?
Children in one city, parents in another, grandparents forgotten in silence.
We call, we text, we send money—but the bonds of the heart grow weaker with distance.

This fragmentation comes at a cost.
Loneliness spreads. Elders feel abandoned. Children grow up without roots, without stories, without a living connection to those who came before them.
And entire communities weaken when families fracture.

Islam warned us about this long ago.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever wishes to have his provision expanded and his life prolonged should uphold the ties of kinship.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 5986; Sahih Muslim, 2557)
Maintaining family ties isn’t just courtesy—it’s a pathway to blessings in this life and the next.

The early Muslims understood this.
They lived near their kin, cared for their elders, raised children together, and made family a fortress of faith.
When one member stumbled, the others carried them. No one was left behind.

So what about us today?
When was the last time you called—not just a parent—but an aunt, a cousin, a distant uncle?
When did you last visit a relative, not out of duty, but out of love?

Rebuilding families begins with one step.
A knock on a door. A shared meal. A story passed from grandfather to child.

Fragmented families can heal.
And Islam shows us how—through the timeless Sunnah of kinship.

In a modern world, the Sunnah is our way back to what truly matters.