The Book of Presents

It was narrated from An-Nu'man bin Bashir that his father gave him a young male slave as a gift, then came to the Prophet asking him to witness it. He asked, ‘Did you give each of your children a gift like this?’ He said, ‘No.’ He replied, ‘Then take it back.’ This is Muhammad’s wording.

It was narrated from An-Nu'man bin Bashir that his father brought him to the Messenger of Allah and said, ‘I gave my son one of my slaves as a gift.’ The Messenger of Allah asked, ‘Did you give all your children a gift?’ He replied, ‘No.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Then take it back.’

It was narrated from An-Nu'man bin Bashir that his father, Bashir bin Sa'd, brought him and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I gave this son of mine one of my slaves as a gift.’ The Messenger of Allah asked, ‘Did you give all your sons a gift?’ He said, ‘No.’ He replied, ‘Then take it back.’

It was narrated from An-Nu'man bin Bashir that his father Bashir bin Sa'd brought him to the Prophet and said, ‘I gave this son of mine one of my slaves as a gift. If you think I should go ahead with it, I will.’ The Messenger of Allah asked, ‘Did you give all your sons a gift?’ He said, ‘No.’ He replied, ‘Then take it back.’

It was narrated from An-Nu'man bin Bashir that his father gave him a gift. His mother said to his father, ‘Ask the Prophet to witness what you have given my son.’ He went to the Prophet and told him about it, but the Prophet disliked bearing witness to it.

It was narrated from Bashir that he gave his son a male slave as a gift, then came to the Prophet wanting him to witness it. He asked, ‘Did you give a similar gift to all your children?’ Bashir said, ‘No.’ He replied, ‘Then take it back.’

It was narrated from Hisham bin Urwah, from his father, that Bashir came to the Prophet and said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, I have given An-Nu'man a gift.’ He asked, ‘Have you given anything to his brothers?’ Bashir replied, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Then take it back.’

It was narrated that An-Nu'man said that his father took him to the Prophet and said, ‘Bear witness that I have given An-Nu'man such-and-such from my wealth as a gift.’ He asked, ‘Have you given all your children a gift like the one you gave An-Nu'man?’

It was narrated from An-Nu'man that his father brought him to the Prophet to witness a gift he had given him. He asked, ‘Did you give all your children a gift like this?’ He said, ‘No.’ The Prophet said, ‘I will not witness anything. Would it not please you for all of them to treat you equally in dutifulness?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Then I will not.’

It was narrated from An-Nu'man bin Bashir al-Ansari that his mother, the daughter of Rawahah, asked his father to give some of his wealth to her son. He put it off for a year, then decided to grant the gift. She said, ‘I will not be satisfied until you ask the Messenger of Allah to witness it.’ He said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, this boy’s mother, the daughter of Rawahah, pressed me to give him what I have given him.’ The Messenger of Allah asked, ‘Bashir, do you have other children besides this one?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘Have you given all of them a gift like the one you gave this son?’ He replied, ‘No.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Then do not ask me to witness it, for I will not bear witness to injustice.’

It was narrated from An-Nu'man that his mother asked his father for a gift, and he gave it to him. She said, ‘I will not be satisfied until you ask the Messenger of Allah to witness it.’ His father took him by the hand while he was still a boy and went to the Messenger of Allah. He said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, this boy’s mother, the daughter of Rawahah, asked me for a gift and would like you to witness it.’ He asked, ‘Bashir, do you have another child besides this one?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘Have you given that child a gift like this one?’ He said, ‘No.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Then do not ask me to witness it, for I will not bear witness to injustice.’

It was narrated from Amir that he was told Bashir bin Sa'd came to the Messenger of Allah and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my wife Amrah bint Rawahah told me to give a gift to her son Nu'man and asked me to have you witness it.’ The Prophet asked, ‘Do you have other sons?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘Have you given them gifts like the one you gave this son?’ He replied, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Then do not ask me to witness an injustice.’

It was narrated from Abdullah bin Utbah bin Mas'ud that a man came to the Prophet and said, ‘I have given my son a gift; bear witness to it.’ He asked, ‘Do you have other children?’ The man said, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘Have you given them gifts like the one you gave him?’ He replied, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Should I bear witness to an injustice?’

An-Nu'man bin Bashir said: My father took me to the Prophet to ask him to witness something he had given me. He asked, ‘Do you have other children?’ My father said, ‘Yes.’ The Prophet held his hand flat and gestured, saying, ‘Why have you not treated them equally?’

An-Nu'man said, while delivering a sermon: My father took me to the Messenger of Allah so he could witness a gift my father had given me. The Prophet asked, ‘Do you have other sons besides him?’ My father said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Treat them equally.’

Ya'qub bin Sufyan narrated that he heard An-Nu'man bin Bashir say while delivering a sermon: The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Treat your children fairly; treat your children fairly.’