Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship — Page 409
— Part IV 400 When we invite the world towards Islam, our intention is not just to increase our number. One should only keep the fact in mind that Islam is really a truth from which the world is deprived. It is a blessing and without it the world is suffering from many evils. Unfortunately people stand up to oppose this truth, not knowing that they are being called to their own welfare. The Rights of Close Relatives In addition to the rights of one’s own family and that of the orphans, the Holy Quran also lays stress upon the rights of relatives and the circle of fraternity. Most often, instead of being more careful about their rights, people tend to ignore them and commit many transgressions against them. Fraternity is referred to in the Punjab as Shar i ka and instead of promoting their welfare, people take false pride in belittling and disgracing them. In the West, this problem cannot be fully comprehended. This is because in the West contact with distant relatives is no longer kept. Sometimes they have no concern for their neighbour, nor ever think of other relatives, except maybe for a few. The Holy Quran does not ignore these moral diseases and speaks of remedial measures regarding them. For this reason, I have dealt with the subject of the rights of near relatives in a separate sub-chapter. The Holy Quran declares: