31/1. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3681 — Equal Gifts to Children
Different Versions Of The Report Of Nu'man Bin Bashir Concerning Presents
Equal Gifts to Children: A Hadith Against Unfairness
Sunan an-Nasai : 3681
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3681
أَخْبَرَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حَيَّانَ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي النُّعْمَانُ بْنُ بَشِيرٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، أَنَّ أُمَّهُ ابْنَةَ رَوَاحَةَ، سَأَلَتْ أَبَاهُ بَعْضَ الْمَوْهِبَةِ مِنْ مَالِهِ لاِبْنِهَا فَالْتَوَى بِهَا سَنَةً ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُ فَوَهَبَهَا لَهُ فَقَالَتْ لاَ أَرْضَى حَتَّى تُشْهِدَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أُمَّ هَذَا ابْنَةَ رَوَاحَةَ قَاتَلَتْنِي عَلَى الَّذِي وَهَبْتُ لَهُ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يَا بَشِيرُ أَلَكَ وَلَدٌ سِوَى هَذَا " . قَالَ نَعَمْ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَفَكُلُّهُمْ وَهَبْتَ لَهُمْ مِثْلَ الَّذِي وَهَبْتَ لاِبْنِكَ هَذَا " . قَالَ لاَ . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " فَلاَ تُشْهِدْنِي إِذًا فَإِنِّي لاَ أَشْهَدُ عَلَى جَوْرٍ " .
An-Nu'man bin Bashir Al-Ansari Narrated from:
An-Nu'man bin Bashir Al-Ansari narrated that his mother, the daughter of Rawahah, asked his father to give some of his wealth to her son. He deferred that for a year, then he decided to give it to him. She said: "I will not be pleased until you ask the Messenger of Allah to bear witness."He said: "O Messenger of Allah, the mother of this boy, the daughter of Rawahah, insisted that I give a gift to him." The Messenger of Allah said: "O Bashir, do you have any other children besides this one?" He said: "Yes." The Messenger of Allah said: "Have you given all of them a gift like that which you have given to this son of yours?" He said: "No." The Messenger of Allah said: "Then do not ask me to bear witness, for I will not bear witness to unfairness."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3681In-book reference : Book 31, Hadith 10English translation : Vol. 4, Book 31, Hadith 3711
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3681
This Hadith explains why equal gifts to children matter. An-Nu'man's mother asked his father to give him part of his wealth and wanted the Messenger of Allah to witness the gift. Before agreeing, the Prophet asked whether Bashir had other children and whether each one had received a similar gift. Bashir answered that he had not given the same to them. The Prophet then refused to be a witness and described the unequal act as unfairness. The main lesson is not hidden: a parent should not seek religious approval for a gift that favors one child over the others in the situation described. The narration also shows that asking questions before witnessing a transaction can expose whether the action is fair.
What we learn from this hadith
- A parent should consider all children before giving one child a special gift.
- The Prophet checked whether the other children had received the same treatment.
- He would not lend his witness to an act described in the Hadith as unfairness.
- A gift should not be presented as proper when its unequal nature is clear.
