Written by: The Saudi Fatwa Committee
A man gave charity to his sons but did not give anything to his daughters.
If this charity was given to fulfill the needs of the sons, while the daughters were not in need due to their own wealth or, if married, due to their husbands’ wealth, then there is no harm in it. This is because if a father is wealthy and his children are poor, it is his duty to provide for them. Hence, if he gives them charity to meet their needs, it is not blameworthy.
However, if he gave to the sons merely out of goodwill, then it is not permissible for a person to favor his sons over his daughters. Likewise, it is also not permissible to give preference to some sons over others. This ruling is based on an incident where Bashir bin Sa'd gave a gift to his son Nu'man bin Bashir, which was either a slave, a garden, or both. He then approached the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to make him a witness over this gift. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked:
"Have you given the same to all your children?"
Bashir replied: "No."
The Prophet (ﷺ) then said:
"Fear Allah and treat your children equally."
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 2587 | Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 1622/18]
As a result, Bashir took back what he had given to Nu’man. This narration proves the prohibition of differentiating among children when giving gifts. However, if the giving is to fulfill a specific need, then it is permissible, as explained earlier.
A question arises: If a father passes away before ensuring equal distribution among his children, is it permissible for the child who was given preference to keep the gift?
The answer is No. The preferred child must return the gift to the inheritance so that it can be distributed among all heirs according to the Islamic law of inheritance.
[Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen: Liqaa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh, 15/247]
A man gave charity to his sons but did not give anything to his daughters.
If this charity was given to fulfill the needs of the sons, while the daughters were not in need due to their own wealth or, if married, due to their husbands’ wealth, then there is no harm in it. This is because if a father is wealthy and his children are poor, it is his duty to provide for them. Hence, if he gives them charity to meet their needs, it is not blameworthy.
However, if he gave to the sons merely out of goodwill, then it is not permissible for a person to favor his sons over his daughters. Likewise, it is also not permissible to give preference to some sons over others. This ruling is based on an incident where Bashir bin Sa'd gave a gift to his son Nu'man bin Bashir, which was either a slave, a garden, or both. He then approached the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to make him a witness over this gift. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked:
"Have you given the same to all your children?"
Bashir replied: "No."
The Prophet (ﷺ) then said:
"Fear Allah and treat your children equally."
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 2587 | Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 1622/18]
As a result, Bashir took back what he had given to Nu’man. This narration proves the prohibition of differentiating among children when giving gifts. However, if the giving is to fulfill a specific need, then it is permissible, as explained earlier.
A question arises: If a father passes away before ensuring equal distribution among his children, is it permissible for the child who was given preference to keep the gift?
The answer is No. The preferred child must return the gift to the inheritance so that it can be distributed among all heirs according to the Islamic law of inheritance.
[Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen: Liqaa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh, 15/247]