Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
In Islam, transferring property to only one child while excluding others is considered an act of injustice (Zhulm). Justice is a fundamental principle in Islam, and parents are required to treat their children fairly. The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against favoritism, stating that parents should give equally to all children. If a parent has already transferred wealth unfairly, they should correct this wrongdoing to avoid accountability in the sight of Allah.
In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Is It Permissible to Transfer Property to Only One Child?
Transferring property to one child is not permissible, for such an act is simply unacceptable in Islam.
Prophetic Teachings on Treating Children Equally
Parents in Islam should deal justly and fairly with their children and refrain from all words, actions, or behavior that seem discriminatory in one way or another towards any one of their children.
The seriousness of this matter is clear when we consider how important Islam considers justice. For justice, according to the Quran, is central to Allahโs creation and order of things.
To upset this natural order and balance is a most heinous sin. People call this practice zhulm (injustice or oppression).
There is perhaps no sin in Islam worse than zhulm in diverse forms. The most glaring of these forms is shirk. Shirk means associating partners with Allah, the Creator and Cherisher of all beings.
It is due to the crucial nature of justice that Allah orders the faithful to be just:
{Allah enjoins justice and excellence (in all things) and charity to kinsmen, and forbidden indecency, wickedness and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed.} (An-Nahl 16:90)
Allah has thus forbidden all forms of injustice. We read in a hadith qudsi (sacred hadith) that Allah said,
โMy Servants! I have forbidden injustice upon Myself and declared it forbidden upon you as well, so do not commit injustice!โ (Muslim)
Since the first and foremost place to realize the beautiful values and ethics of Islam is nowhere but home itself, the Prophet was ever keen to remind the parents of their responsibility towards their children.
Thus, he not only ordered them to deal with their children justly but also warned them against any words or actions that may amount to be discriminatory.
He said, โFear Allah and deal justly towards your children!โ (Al-Bukhari)
Once one of his Companions requested him to witness an offer of a present to one of his sons.
The Prophet asked him, โHave you given a similar gift to all of your children?โ
When the man replied, โNo,โ he told him, โGo and find someone else to witness this act, for I cannot be a witness to an act of injustice!โ (Muslim)
What Should Be Done If Property Has Already Been Unequally Transferred?
In light of the above, your motherโs action is deplorable. If she has already transferred her wealth to one of her children, depriving the rest, then she is definitely guilty of a major offense in the sight of Allah.
Therefore, it is imperative that she be reminded of her unjust act and be forewarned of the consequences so that she takes all due measures to rectify the situation immediately.
May Allah inspire us to be fair and just in words and deeds. Ameen.
Almighty Allah knows best.
Editorโs note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholarโs archive and was originally published at an earlier date.
