Give to my son your slave as a gift, and make for me Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) a witness He came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: The daughter of so and so (his wife Amra bint Rawaha) asked me to give my slave as a gift to her son, and call for me Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as a witness. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Has he (Nu'man) brothers? He (Bashir) said: Yes. He (further) said: Have you given to all others as you have given to him? He said: No. He said: Then it is not fair; and verily I cannot bear witness but only to what is just.
The Book of Gifts - Sahih Muslim 1624
This narration from Sahih Muslim concerns the important Islamic principle of justice in gift-giving among children, particularly when dealing with multiple offspring.
Context and Background
The Companion Bashir ibn Sa'd came to Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) seeking his witness for a gift of a slave to his son Nu'man from his wife Amra bint Rawaha.
The Prophet's immediate inquiry about other children demonstrates his concern for familial justice and prevention of discord.
Scholarly Commentary
The Prophet's refusal to witness an unequal distribution establishes the sunnah of equitable treatment among children in gift-giving.
Scholars interpret this as prohibiting favoritism that may breed envy and disrupt family harmony, which is considered a greater evil than the material benefit of the gift.
The phrase "I cannot bear witness but only to what is just" emphasizes that Islamic testimony must always support righteousness and fairness.
Legal Rulings Derived
Most classical scholars hold that preferential treatment in gifts is makruh (disliked) rather than haram (prohibited), unless it causes clear harm.
Exceptions exist for special circumstances like disability, greater need, or compensating for something another child received separately.
The ruling applies specifically to gifts, not inheritance, which has its own detailed regulations in Islamic law.
Contemporary Application
This hadith guides Muslim parents to maintain balance in financial treatment of children to preserve family unity.
Modern scholars extend this principle to educational opportunities, wedding expenses, and other forms of parental support.