Justice Among Children in Gifts: Hadith and Shari‘ah Guidelines
✒ Fatwa by the Saudi Permanent Committee for Islamic Rulings
This authentic Hadith has been narrated by Imām al-Bukhārī and Imām Muslim on the authority of Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr رضي الله عنه. He states:
His father gave him a servant as a gift. His mother insisted that she would not be pleased unless the Prophet ﷺ bore witness to it. So Bashīr ibn Saʿd went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him of the matter. The Prophet ﷺ asked:
"Have you given all of your children something similar to what you gave to Nuʿmān?"
He replied: “No.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Fear Allah and be just among your children."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2587, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1622/18)
This Hadith clearly proves that favoring one child over the others in gifts is not permissible. All children deserve fairness and equal treatment, as each of them is part of one’s lineage, and kindness is expected toward all.
Scholars differ on how justice is to be implemented in gift-giving among children:
① Absolute Equality:
All children, males and females, should receive equal amounts.
② Proportional to Inheritance Shares (Preferred Opinion):
Gifts should be distributed like inheritance, i.e.,
"To the male, a portion equal to that of two females"
(لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنثَيَيْنِ)
Just as Allah decreed in the Qur'an, this system reflects divine justice and wisdom, and should be applied even during one's lifetime when giving gifts.
The stronger and more balanced opinion, as chosen by scholars like Shaykh Ibn Bāz رحمه الله, is that:
✔ Gift distribution should follow the same ratio as inheritance.
✔ A male child should receive the equivalent of two female children.
✔ This method is most consistent with Allah’s command and divine justice.
Thus, the parents should ensure that their distribution is fair, proportionate, and in accordance with Allah’s law, Who is more just than any human.
✔ The Hadith instructs justice and fairness in distributing gifts among children.
✔ Favoring some while ignoring others is unjust.
✔ The more correct approach is to gift in accordance with Qur'anic inheritance laws:
One share for a girl, two shares for a boy.
✔ This reflects true fairness and avoids resentment among siblings.
🖋 Reference:
Ibn Bāz – Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā wa al-Maqālāt, Vol. 48, p. 20
✒ Fatwa by the Saudi Permanent Committee for Islamic Rulings
◈ The Meaning of the Hadith: "Fear Allah and Be Just Among Your Children"
This authentic Hadith has been narrated by Imām al-Bukhārī and Imām Muslim on the authority of Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr رضي الله عنه. He states:
His father gave him a servant as a gift. His mother insisted that she would not be pleased unless the Prophet ﷺ bore witness to it. So Bashīr ibn Saʿd went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him of the matter. The Prophet ﷺ asked:
"Have you given all of your children something similar to what you gave to Nuʿmān?"
He replied: “No.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Fear Allah and be just among your children."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2587, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1622/18)
This Hadith clearly proves that favoring one child over the others in gifts is not permissible. All children deserve fairness and equal treatment, as each of them is part of one’s lineage, and kindness is expected toward all.
◈ Scholarly Opinions on Equal Distribution
Scholars differ on how justice is to be implemented in gift-giving among children:
✔ Two Primary Views Exist:
① Absolute Equality:
All children, males and females, should receive equal amounts.
② Proportional to Inheritance Shares (Preferred Opinion):
Gifts should be distributed like inheritance, i.e.,
"To the male, a portion equal to that of two females"
(لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنثَيَيْنِ)
Just as Allah decreed in the Qur'an, this system reflects divine justice and wisdom, and should be applied even during one's lifetime when giving gifts.
◈ The Preferred and Sound View
The stronger and more balanced opinion, as chosen by scholars like Shaykh Ibn Bāz رحمه الله, is that:
✔ Gift distribution should follow the same ratio as inheritance.
✔ A male child should receive the equivalent of two female children.
✔ This method is most consistent with Allah’s command and divine justice.
Thus, the parents should ensure that their distribution is fair, proportionate, and in accordance with Allah’s law, Who is more just than any human.
❖ Summary
✔ The Hadith instructs justice and fairness in distributing gifts among children.
✔ Favoring some while ignoring others is unjust.
✔ The more correct approach is to gift in accordance with Qur'anic inheritance laws:
One share for a girl, two shares for a boy.
✔ This reflects true fairness and avoids resentment among siblings.
🖋 Reference:
Ibn Bāz – Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā wa al-Maqālāt, Vol. 48, p. 20
