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Fatwa CenterAdherence to Islam determines the degree of affection for the believer
Question
I do not like my sister because she violates the commands of the Sharee‘ah and I know that she does not like me either. However, I maintain ties of kinship with her despite the fact that I do not like her. Do I bear guilt for this?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Maintaining ties of kinship is obligatory on every Muslim, for Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Fear Allaah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs.}[Quran 4:1] The word ‘wombs’ refers to ties of kinship, so the verse is ordering Muslims to ’fear severing ties of kinship’. There are numerous Hadeeths urging Muslims to maintain ties of kinship. However, they must not be taken to mean that one is required only to maintain ties with those who maintain ties with him, for that would merely be considered as reciprocation. Rather, one is required to maintain ties even with those who sever ties with him. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam , said that one who maintains ties of kinship is not the one who only has ties with those who have ties with him; rather, he is the one who maintains his ties of kinship when they have been severed by others. [Al-Bukhari]
Muslims must seek the reward of Allaah The Almighty when they maintain ties of kinship with those who sever them, and they must be confident that Allaah The Almighty will support them in this. In a Hadeeth on the authority of Abu Hurayrah 
a man complained to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, about some of his relatives who had severed ties with him and treated him badly even though he took care to maintain ties with them and treat them well. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, told him that by doing so, it was as if he was feeding them hot ashes. He added that Allaah The Almighty would support him as long as he kept on joining these (ties). [Muslim]
Allaah The Almighty did not oblige us to love those who mistreat us. However, we must bear some love for every Muslim for the sake of Allaah The Almighty because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, mentioned that love and hatred for the sake of Allaah The Almighty were the greatest characteristics of faith. [Al-Bazzaar]
The only person who should be absolutely hated by Muslims is the disbeliever. However, our love for Muslims should be determined by the extent that he adheres to the teachings of Islam. Likewise, our dislike of him should be based on the amount of sins he commits.
Allaah Knows best.
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