Hadith: Then do not make me a witness, for I do not bear witness to injustice

عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ رَضيَ اللهُ عنهُما:
أَنَّ أُمَّهُ بِنْتَ رَوَاحَةَ سَأَلَتْ أَبَاهُ بَعْضَ الْمَوْهِبَةِ مِنْ مَالِهِ لِابْنِهَا، فَالْتَوَى بِهَا سَنَةً ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُ، فَقَالَتْ: لَا أَرْضَى حَتَّى تُشْهِدَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى مَا وَهَبْتَ لِابْنِي، فَأَخَذَ أَبِي بِيَدِي وَأَنَا يَوْمَئِذٍ غُلَامٌ، فَأَتَى رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، إِنَّ أُمَّ هَذَا بِنْتَ رَوَاحَةَ أَعْجَبَهَا أَنْ أُشْهِدَكَ عَلَى الَّذِي وَهَبْتُ لِابْنِهَا، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَا بَشِيرُ، أَلَكَ وَلَدٌ سِوَى هَذَا؟» قَالَ: نَعَمْ، فَقَالَ: «أَكُلَّهُمْ وَهَبْتَ لَهُ مِثْلَ هَذَا؟» قَالَ: لَا، قَالَ: «فَلَا تُشْهِدْنِي إِذن، فَإِنِّي لَا أَشْهَدُ عَلَى جَوْرٍ»، ولِمُسْلِمٍ: «فَأَشْهِدْ عَلَى هَذَا غَيْرِي».
[صحيح] - [متفق عليه، وله ألفاظ عديدة] - [صحيح مسلم: 1623]

An-Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported:
His mother, Bint Rawāhah, asked his father for some of his wealth as a gift for her son. He hesitated for a year, but then he decided. She said: I will not be satisfied until you make the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) witness what you have given to my son. So, my father took my hand, and I was a young boy at that time, and he went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He said: O Messenger of Allah, the mother of this, Bint Rawāhah, wishes for you to witness what I have given as a gift to her son. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Bashīr, do you have children other than this one?" He said: Yes. He then said: "Have you given them all the same gift as this?" He said: No. he said: "Then do not make me a witness, for I do not bear witness to injustice." And in the version of Muslim: "Then have someone else witness it, not me."
[Authentic hadith] - - [Sahih Muslim - 1623]

Explanation

An-Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that his mother, ‘Amrah bint Rawāhah (may Allah be pleased with her), asked his father for a portion of his wealth as a gift for her son. He hesitated and delayed it for a year, but then he decided to respond to her request and give the gift to his son, an-Nu‘mān. She said: I will not be satisfied until you have the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) witness what you have given as a gift to my son. So, my father took my hand, and I was a young boy at that time, and he went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, the mother of this, Bint Rawāhah, wishes for you to witness what I have given as a gift to her son. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Bashīr, do you have children other than this one? He said: Yes. He then said: Have you given them all the same gift as this? He said: No. He said: Then do not make me a witness, for I do not bear witness to injustice and oppression. And in the version of Muslim, he said to him reproachfully: Then have someone else witness it, not me.

Benefits from the Hadith

1. Justice is obligatory between sons and daughters in gifts and offerings. However, for financial maintenance, it is determined based on individual needs, each according to his requirements.
2. Favoring some children over others is injustice and oppression, and it is not permissible to bear witness to it, either in taking the testimony or in delivering it.
3. An-Nawawi said: One should treat his children equally in giving gifts, granting each one the same as the others without favoritism, and should treat men and females equally. Some of our fellow scholars said: A male should receive twice the share of a female, but the correct and famous view is that they should be treated equally, as indicated by the apparent meaning of the Hadīth.
4. Rulings that are contrary to the Shariah are invalid and do not take effect.
5. The ruler or the mufti should request details on matters that require further inquiry, as indicated by the Prophet's statement: "Did you do this for all your children?"
6. An-Nawawi said: This indicates the permissibility of a parent retracting his gift to the child.
7. The command to do what leads to harmony among siblings and to avoid what causes enmity between them or leads to undutifulness to parents.