24/3. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1623j — Fairness in Gifts
It Is Disliked To Favor Some Of One's Children Over Others In Gift-Giving
Hadith About Fair Gifts to Children: A Lesson in Equity
Sahih Muslim : 1623j
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1623j
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ النَّوْفَلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَزْهَرُ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عَوْنٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ، قَالَ نَحَلَنِي أَبِي نُحْلاً ثُمَّ أَتَى بِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِيُشْهِدَهُ فَقَالَ " أَكُلَّ وَلَدِكَ أَعْطَيْتَهُ هَذَا " . قَالَ لاَ . قَالَ " أَلَيْسَ تُرِيدُ مِنْهُمُ الْبِرَّ مِثْلَ مَا تُرِيدُ مِنْ ذَا " . قَالَ بَلَى . قَالَ " فَإِنِّي لاَ أَشْهَدُ " . قَالَ ابْنُ عَوْنٍ فَحَدَّثْتُ بِهِ مُحَمَّدًا فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا تَحَدَّثْنَا أَنَّهُ قَالَ " قَارِبُوا بَيْنَ أَوْلاَدِكُمْ " .
An-Nu'man bin Bashir Narrated from:
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.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1623jIn-book reference : Book 24, Hadith 24USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 12, Hadith 3970
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1623j
This Hadith about fair gifts to children teaches a simple but strong lesson about justice inside the family. Nu'man b. Bashir was given a gift by his father, and his father wanted Allah's Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) to witness it. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked whether every son had received the same kind of gift. When the answer was no, he refused to be a witness. He also linked fairness in giving with the hope that children will show goodness to their parents. The main message is clear: a parent should avoid favoring one child with a special gift while leaving others out. The Hadith uses direct words like equity, goodness, and witness, making it a strong guide for family fairness.
What we learn from this hadith
- Parents should be careful about giving gifts to one child while excluding others.
- A witness should not support a gift that is described as injustice in the Hadith.
- Fairness among children is connected with the hope of goodness from them.
- Equity in family gifts is directly encouraged in the narration.
