and if you give the son 1 riyal, then give the daughter half a riyal.

The early generations (al-salaf, may Allah have mercy on them) were so scrupulous about fairness that they even applied it to kissing their children. If a father kissed the younger child while his brother was present, he would immediately kiss the other as well, so that no injustice touched them even in affection.

The same holds true for speech: you must deal equitably with them all. Do not address one child harshly and another gently.

Justice is likewise required toward everyone Allah has placed under your authority. Do not favor a relative because he is kin, a wealthy person because he is rich, a poor person because he is needy, or a friend because he is your companion. Show no partiality—people stand equal before you.

The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) went so far as to say that a judge must be fair to both litigants in every respect—his wording, his gaze, his tone, the way he seats them, even the manner in which they enter his court. He must not look at one with anger and the other with satisfaction; he must not speak softly to one and curtly to the other. He should not ask one of them, “How are you? How is your family, your children?” while withholding the same courtesy from the other. He must maintain absolute parity even in this.

Likewise with seating: do not place one of them at your right, close to you, and the other farther away. Seat them directly in front of you, on an equal footing.

Indeed, if a believer and a disbeliever bring their case before a judge, he is obliged to treat them identically in speech, gaze, and seating. He must not say to the Muslim, “Come sit beside me,” while relegating the non-Muslim to a distant spot. Rather, he should seat them both squarely before him. Justice is mandatory in all matters.

Excellence (iḥsān) is a virtue over and above justice, yet Allah has nevertheless commanded it; however