Chapter: It Is Disliked To Favor Some Of Ones Children Over Others In Gift-Giving

I have donated this slave of mine to my son. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Have you donated to every one of your sons (a slave) like this? He said: No. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) said: Then take him back.

My father brought me to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: I have donated this slave to my son. whereupon he said: Have you made (such) donation to every one or your sons? He said: No. Thereupon he (the-Holy Prophet) said: Then take him back.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with different chains of transmitters and a slight variation of words.

Who is this slave (how have you come to possess it)? Thereupon he (Nu'man b. Bashir) said: My father has donated it to me, whereupon he said: Have all brothers (of yours) been given this gift as given to you? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Then return him.

My father donated to me some of his property. My mother Amra bint Rawaha said: I shall not be pleased (with this act) until you make Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) a witness to it. My father went to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) in order to make him the witness of the donation given to me. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to him: Have you done the same with every son of yours? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Fear Allah, and observe equity in case of your children. My father returned and got back the gift.

I shall not be pleased unless you call Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as witness to what you confer as a gift on your son. (Nu'man said): So father took hold of my hand and I was at that time a boy, and came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). and said: Allah's Messenger, the mother of this son (of mine), daughter of Rawaha wishes that I should call you witness to what I confer as gift to her son. Allah's Messenger (may pease be upon him) said: Bashir, have you any other son besides this (son of yours)? He said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Have you given gifts to all of them like this? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Then call me not as witness, for I cannot be witness to an injustice.

Have you, besides him, other sons? He said: Yes. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Have you given gifts to all of them like this (as you have given to Nu'man)? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: I cannot bear witness to an injustice.

Call me not as witness to an injustice.

My father took me to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Allah's Messenger, bear witness that I have given such and such gift to Nu'man from my property, whereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Have you conferred upon all of your sons as you have conferred upon Nu'man? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Call someone else besides me as a witness. And he further said: Would it, please you that they (your children) should all behave virtuously towards you? He said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Then don't do that (i e. don't give gift to one to the exclusion of others).

My father conferred a gift upon me, and then brought me to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to make him a witness (to it). He (the Holy Prophet) said: Have you given such gift to every son of yours (as you have given to Nu'man)? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Don't you expect goodness from them as you expect from him? He said: Yes. of course. He (the Holy Prophet) said: I am not going to bear witness to it (as it is injustice). Ibn Aun (one of the narrators) said: I narrated this hadith to Muhammad (the other narrator) who said: Verily we narrated that lie (the Holy Prophet) had said: Observe equity amongst your children.

Give to my son your slave as a gift, and make for me Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) a witness He came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: The daughter of so and so (his wife Amra bint Rawaha) asked me to give my slave as a gift to her son, and call for me Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as a witness. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Has he (Nu'man) brothers? He (Bashir) said: Yes. He (further) said: Have you given to all others as you have given to him? He said: No. He said: Then it is not fair; and verily I cannot bear witness but only to what is just.