Question : It is narrated in a hadeeth : Fear Allaah and treat your children equally. Is the intended outright equality or is the share of the male child in compliance to the law of inheritance ? For the hadeeth, I think states, Did you give all of them similar to this ? For the word ``similar if it is authentic ,suggests outright equality, except if the prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him ] was referring to males only . Please enlighten us, may Allaah benefit you.
Answer : The hadeeth is authentic and narrated by Bukhari and Muslim upon the authority of an- Numan ibn Basheer [RA], that his father gave him a slave, so his mother said: "I am not satisfied until the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] certifies this." So Basheer bn Sad went to the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] and informed him of what he had done.
The Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said: "Have you given to all your children similar to that which you have given to an-Numan?" He replied "No", the Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] then said: "Fear Allaah and treat your children equally. " This proves that it is not permissible to prefer some children over others concerning bestowments or to specify some of them with gifts at the exclusion of others, for they are all ones children and their devotion is expected.
The scholars, may Allaah have mercy upon them have differed as to whether it is to be equated between male and female offspring or the male given more than the female, such as in the case of inheritance. They are two opinions, the more correct being that bestowments upon children are similar to their proportions in inheritance. That is their equation is by giving the male child a share twice that of a female child, for this is what Allaah has legislated for them of the inheritance and He, glory be to Him is the fair Judge.
So the believer distributes his bestowments upon his children as if he were bequeathing it to them after his death, for the male child and a share twice of the male child. This is fairness concerning them, their mothers and fathers. This is what is obligatory upon a mother and father when giving to their children. For the male child a share twice that of the female child, with this justice and fairness is achieved, just as Allaah has made this justice in their inheritance from their father and mother.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited