he collects each person’s share from him. Moreover, people accept being treated equally in what they are denied and in what is unjustly taken from them, but they do not accept some being singled out for gifts or exemptions. Thus, Islamic law permits a sick person to bequeath a third of his wealth to a non-heir, but not to single out an heir for anything from that third in addition to his rightful share, even though he may give the entire third to a non-heir.

The same applies to gifts to one’s children: a person is commanded to treat them equally, whether giving or withholding, and not to single out some for gifts without a reason warranting it, as indicated by the hadith of al-Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr and other reports.

Third: If he asks the oppressor not to collect anything from him, knowing that he will impose his share on someone else, he has asked him to do something that he knows will involve wronging another person. A person may not ask someone else to do something that will involve wronging another, even if he has not instructed him to commit injustice. This is like appointing someone to a position of authority and instructing him not to commit injustice while knowing that he will do so: he may not appoint him. The same applies to appointing an agent and instructing him not to commit injustice while knowing that he will do so. Likewise, a person may not ask someone to repay a debt owed to him from his lawfully acquired wealth, while knowing that he will repay it only from what he has wrongfully taken from others. Similarly, the person in question has asked to be spared injustice while knowing that he will be spared only by someone else being wronged. He may not ask for this.

(Fourth: This leads to the weak, who have no one to support them, having the entire sum collected from them, while the powerful pay nothing towards the levies on property, even though their holdings are greater. This entails such corruption and evil