Al-Tahawi, may Allah have mercy on him, cited this as evidence for the view of Abu Yusuf, may Allah have mercy on him: that one should give equally to females and males. This is contrary to Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, who held that gifts should be apportioned according to the shares of inheritance, with the male receiving the share of two females. Al-Tahawi refuted him with what he narrated through an authentic chain from al-Nuʿman ibn Bashir, who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“Treat your children equally in gifts, just as you would like them to treat you equally in dutifulness.”

It was also recorded by al-Bayhaqi (6/178), and by Muslim (5/66–67) in a similar wording, as well as by Ibn Hibban (5082).

Abu Jaʿfar said:

“This proves that he wanted from the father, in his treatment of his child, what he wanted from the child in his treatment of his father. What he desired from the female in dutifulness was the same as what he desired from the male; therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wanted him to give the female the same as he wanted him to give the male.”

The ruling on the aforementioned equal treatment among children has been a matter of scholarly disagreement: some hold it to be a duty, while others hold it to be recommended. This latter view is the position of the Hanafis, and al-Tahawi supported it. The correct view, however, is that it is obligatory, as al-Hafiz explained in detail in al-Fath. Whoever wishes a fuller discussion may refer to it. It is sufficient evidence for this that the narrator of the hadith—al-Nuʿman ibn Bashir, may Allah be pleased with him—said in some of the authentic narrations from him:

“My father returned and revoked that gift.”

It was recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim, and its sourcing has preceded in al-Irwaʾ (6/41).

The sourcing of the hadith under this heading has already preceded in this Silsilah (2883) and (2994); the version here contains an additional wording. *