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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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Justice among children and the ruling on preferring some over others

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The question: He has a third question in which he says: It is reported in the hadith:
Be afraid of Allah, and be just to your children.اتقوا الله واعدلوا بين أولادكم
Sahih al-Bukhari 2587
So is the intended meaning absolute equality, or is it that the male has the share of two females, as in inheritance? The hadith, as I think, says:
Did you give to all of your children what you gave to al-Nu'man?أكلهم أعطيته مثل
So the word (like) — if it is correct — implies absolute equality, unless he is speaking only about males. Please inform us, may Allah reward you?
The answer: The hadith is authentic; it was narrated by the two Shaykhs from al-Nu'man ibn Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him):
That his father gave him a slave boy, so his mother said: I am not satisfied until the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) testifies to it. So Bashir ibn Sa'd went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of what he had done. He said: Did you give to all of your children what you gave to al-Nu'man? He said: No. He said: Fear Allah and be just among your children.أن أباه أعطاه غلاماً فقالت أمه: لا أرضى حتى يشهد رسول الله عليه الصلاة والسلام، فذهب بشير بن سعد إلى النبي ﷺ، وأخبره بما فعل فقال: أكل ولدك أعطيته مثل ما أعطيت النعمان؟ قال: لا، فقال: اتقوا الله واعدلوا بين أولادكم
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This indicates that it is not permissible to prefer some children over others in gifts. They are all his children, and kindness is hoped for from all of them, so it is not permissible to single out some of them with a gift. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed on whether equality should be established among them such that the male is like the female, or whether the male should be preferred over the female as in inheritance? There are two opinions among the people of knowledge: and the stronger opinion is that the gift should be like inheritance, and that equality is achieved by making the male like two females. For this is what Allah has established for them in inheritance, and He, Exalted is He, is the Just Judge. So the believer should be like that in his gifts to his children, just as if he left it for them after his death, where the male has the share of two females. So likewise, when he gives to them during his lifetime, he gives the male the share of two females. This is justice with regard to them, and with regard to their mother and father. And this is what is obligatory upon the father and mother: to give to the children in this manner, where the male has the share of two females. And by this, justice and equality are achieved, just as Allah made that justice in their inheritance from their father and mother. And Allah is the Helper. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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