Some of his relatives once asked him to appoint them to oversee the alms and grant them a stipend from them. He replied, “Alms are not lawful for Muhammad or the family of Muhammad” (1). He therefore withheld the alms from them and compensated them from the fay’ revenues.

Alī, Zayd, and Jafar brought before him their dispute concerning Hamza’s daughter [أ/ق 56]﵃. He awarded her to none of them, but instead awarded her (2) to her maternal aunt. He then comforted each of them with a gracious word. He said to Alī, “You are from me, and I am from you”; to Jafar, “You resemble me in appearance and character”; and to Zayd, “You are our brother and our freedman” (3).

This, then, is how a ruler ought to act when making allocations and rendering judgments. People continually (4) ask the ruler for things that it would be improper to grant: appointments to office, money (5), benefits, unjust favoritism, intercession in cases involving prescribed penalties, and other such things. He should therefore make it up to them in some other way, if possible, or turn them away with gracious words, unless sternness is required. Being turned away pains a petitioner, especially one whose goodwill needs to be won. Allah Most High says:

“As for the petitioner, do not rebuff him.” [al-Duhā: 10]

He also says:

“Give close relatives their due, as well as the needy and the stranded traveler, and do not