34/3. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3745 — A Lifelong Gift Cannot Be Taken Back
Mentioning The Different Reports From Az-Zuhri About It
Can a Lifelong Gift Be Taken Back in Islam?
Sunan an-Nasai : 3745
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3745
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، وَالْحَارِثُ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ، قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْقَاسِمِ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ أُعْمِرَ عُمْرَى لَهُ وَلِعَقِبِهِ فَإِنَّهَا لِلَّذِي يُعْطَاهَا لاَ تَرْجِعُ إِلَى الَّذِي أَعْطَاهَا لأَنَّهُ أَعْطَى عَطَاءً وَقَعَتْ فِيهِ الْمَوَارِيثُ " .
Jabir Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah said: "Any man who is given a gift on the basis of 'Umra, it belongs to him and to his descendants. It belongs to the one to whom he gave it, and it cannot be taken back by the one who gave it, because he has given a gift, and it comes to the heirs of the one to whom it was given."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3745In-book reference : Book 34, Hadith 27English translation : Vol. 4, Book 34, Hadith 3776
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3745
This Hadith gives a clear answer about taking back an 'Umra. The Messenger of Allah says that a lifelong gift made to a person and his descendants belongs to the one who received it. It does not return to the giver. The reason stated in the narration is that the giver has already made a gift, and inheritance applies to that property. This makes the text highly relevant to the question, can a gift be taken back in Islam, within the exact case of an 'Umra given to the recipient and descendants. The Hadith joins three ideas: completed gifting, lasting ownership, and inheritance by the recipient's heirs. It does not give a broad ruling for every possible gift, so its lesson should be kept tied to this lifelong gift form.
What we learn from this hadith
- The specified lifelong gift belongs to its recipient.
- The giver cannot reclaim it in the case described.
- The property passes through the recipient's inheritance.
