Gifts

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever is given a gift while some people are sitting with him, they are his partners in it." Imam Bukhari mentioned it as a ta'liq (without a complete chain).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Hasan bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he related that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever receives a gift while some people are sitting with him, they (those sitting) are his partners in that gift."

It is narrated from Qaylawayh Abu Salih that he said: A non-Muslim (non-Arab) man owed me twenty dirhams, and he presented me with a gift. I asked Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) about it, and he said: "Calculate the value of the gift (and count it as part of the debt repaid), and take the remaining dirhams."

It is narrated from an unidentified man that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Keep visiting one another and exchange gifts with each other, for visiting makes affection grow, and a gift removes rancour and resentment (from the hearts)."

It is narrated from Sayyidah Umm Hakim bint Wada' al-Khuza'iyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "Give gifts to one another, for this multiplies mutual love and removes the rancour and malice of the heart."

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "I will not accept a gift from a Bedouin (desert Arab)" (here the narrator alluded to the rest of the hadith).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "Whoever gives a gift for the sake of maintaining ties of kinship or by way of charity, it is binding (i.e. it can no longer be taken back); and whoever gives a gift with the intention that his aim was to obtain a return or benefit (in exchange), he has more right to take that thing of his back if he is not given a return that pleases him."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning a man who gave a lamb (or a young animal of livestock) as a gift, and that animal then gave birth; later, when the giver wanted to take back his gift, he (may Allah be pleased with him) ruled concerning it: "He may take back the original value of that animal."

It is narrated from Umar bin Abd al-Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) concerning a man who gave a slave girl as a gift, and she grew into a young woman (while with the recipient); then that man wanted to go back on the gift. He said: "He shall openly go back on her value."

It is narrated from Imam al-Sha'bi (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: "When the gift (the thing given) has been consumed (i.e. used up and finished), it is no longer permissible for the giver to go back on it."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "There was a man who had acquired the nickname 'Himar' (donkey). He used to present the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with a skin of ghee and a skin of honey as a gift. Then, when the actual owner of those goods (the trader) came to demand the price from him, he would bring him along to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and submit: 'O Messenger of Allah, grant this man the price of his goods,' and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would merely smile (at his innocent manner) and order it to be paid, so the price would be paid to him."