24/3. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1623b — Equal Gifts Among Children
It Is Disliked To Favor Some Of One's Children Over Others In Gift-Giving
Equal Gifts Among Children: A Hadith on Fairness
Sahih Muslim : 1623b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1623b
وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ، عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ، قَالَ أَتَى بِي أَبِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنِّي نَحَلْتُ ابْنِي هَذَا غُلاَمًا . فَقَالَ " أَكُلَّ بَنِيكَ نَحَلْتَ " . قَالَ لاَ . قَالَ " فَارْدُدْهُ " .
An-Nu'man bin Bashir Narrated from:
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.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1623bIn-book reference : Book 24, Hadith 16USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 12, Hadith 3962
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1623b
This narration repeats the same family teaching in close wording. Nu'man b. Bashir said his father took him to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and stated that he had donated a slave to this son. The Prophet asked a direct question: had he made such a donation to every one of his sons? When the answer was no, he told him to take it back. This is a clear hadith about fairness among children in gift-giving. The Prophet did not make the matter long or complicated in this wording. He checked whether the gift was equal, then gave the answer. The lesson is easy for parents to understand: do not single out one child with a gift in a way that creates unfairness.
What we learn from this hadith
- A parent should check fairness before giving a special gift.
- The Prophet’s question focused on whether all sons were treated alike.
- The father was told to return the gift when the answer was no.
- The narration teaches simple fairness in family giving.
