May a father take back a gift he gave his son?
2026-10-13
F197 · Selected fatwas
Shaykh Ibn Bāz
الشيخ عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز
Original Q&A · Complete published question and answer
Complete published question and answer. The conditions of perceived benefit and the son's ability to return the gift are retained. The hadith attribution and grading are those stated in the Arabic source.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
هل يجوز للوالد استعادة ما سبق وأعطاه لابنه؟
الجواب
يجوز ذلك إذا رأى المصلحة في ذلك واستطاع الابن ردها على والده لقول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: لا يحل لرجل مسلم أن يعطي العطية ثم يرجع فيها إلا الوالد فيما يعطي ولده رواه الإمام أحمد وأبو داود والنسائي وابن ماجه، وصححه الترمذي وابن حبان والحاكم.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
May a father recover something that he previously gave his son?
Answer
That is permissible if he considers it beneficial and the son is able to return it to his father, because the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘It is not lawful for a Muslim man to give a gift and then take it back, except a father in what he gives his child.’ It was narrated by Imam Aḥmad, Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasāʾī and Ibn Mājah, and al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Ḥibbān and al-Ḥākim authenticated it.
Source and editorial notes
Official Ibn Bāz website, fatwa 19104; Majmūʿ Fatāwā wa-Maqālāt Ibn Bāz 20/68
الموقع الرسمي للشيخ عبد العزيز بن باز
Official Ibn Bāz website
Complete published Arabic question and answer checked against the official source, including follow-up exchanges and closing words where present. Arabic diacritics omitted, directional formatting marks removed and honorific glyphs expanded for display. Source footnotes are kept separate.