his child’s wealth that he has not already bestowed upon him as a gift, so long as doing so does not harm the child.

The author then cites the ḥadīth of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him). ʿUmar had once donated a horse for the cause of Allah—that is, he gave it to a man to ride in battle. The man neglected the animal until it was ruined. Expecting that the man would now sell it for a token price and was unable to meet its upkeep, ʿUmar mentioned the matter to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet replied, “Do not buy it back, even if he were to offer it to you for a single dirham, for you gave it for Allah’s sake. A person cannot purchase his own charity. Whatever has been given for Allah’s sake must not be reclaimed.” He then said, “Whoever retracts his charity is like a dog that vomits and then returns to its vomit.” Hearing this, ʿUmar dropped the idea altogether.

This ruling applies after the recipient has actually taken possession of the gift. Before possession, however, retracting the gift is not unlawful, although the giver should still honor his promise. Suppose someone tells another, “I will give you a watch,” but has not yet handed it over; he may, in principle, withdraw the offer. Even so, he ought to fulfill his pledge, for failing to keep one’s word is one of the hallmarks of hypocrisy, and it is impermissible for a Muslim to adopt the traits of hypocrites. Allah alone grants success.