When may a giver take back a gift?
2026-10-14
T208 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Original Q&A · Complete source question and answer
Complete original question and answer, 31/283.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
وسئل رحمه الله تعالى عما إذا وهب لإنسان شيئا ثم رجع فيه: هل يجوز ذلك أم لا؟
الجواب
الحمد لله، في السنن عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال: "ليس لواهب أن يرجع في هبته، إلا الوالد فيما وهبه لولده". وهذا مذهب الشافعي ومالك وأحمد وغيرهم، إلا أن يكون المقصود بالهبة المعاوضة؛ مثل من يعطي رجلا عطية ليعاوضه عليها، أو يقضي له حاجة: فهذا إذا لم يوف بالشرط المعروف لفظا أو عرفا فله أن يرجع في هبته أو قدرها. والله أعلم.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
He, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked whether it is permissible for someone to give another person something and then take it back.
Answer
Praise be to Allah. The Sunan collections report that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “A giver may not take back his gift, except a father in what he gives his child.” This is the position of al-Shāfiʿī, Mālik, Aḥmad and others, unless the gift was intended as an exchange—for example, someone gives a man something so that he will compensate him or fulfil a need for him. If the condition established by express words or customary understanding is not fulfilled, he may reclaim his gift or its equivalent value. Allah knows best.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 31/283
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic checked against the cited source and adjacent question boundaries. Diacritics and display marks omitted; honorific glyphs expanded. Titles and scope notes are editorial.