7. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from his father in a marfu’ manner from abu Hamza al-Thumali who has said the following: “Once Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib said in one of his sermons,

‘I seek refuge in Allah from sins that accelerate destruction.’ The narrator has said that at this point ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Kawwa’ al-Yashkuri stood up and asked, ‘O Amir al-Mu’minin, do sins hasten one’s destruction?’ The Imam said, ‘Yes, it does. Woe upon you, it is failing to maintain good relations with relatives. A family lives together and cooperates with each other, even though they may happen to be a sinful people, Allah grants them sustenance. A family who fails to maintain good relations with relatives face Allah’s depriving them (from benefits), even though they are pious people.’”