351. Imām al-Sādiq (a.s.) said: “My father (a.s.) said: “By Allah! I act with one of my children and make him sit on my knees, show him much affection and thank him a lot, even though it is the right of the other child; but I do so for the sake of protecting him from that child and from others, so that they might not do the same thing against him as the brothers of Yusuf (a.s.) did to him. Allah sent down the Chapter of Yusuf as an example so that some of us do not feel envy towards others as Yusuf’s brothers envied and wronged him.”1
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Justice between Children
352. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Observe equality between your children when giving gifts, and if I were to give preferences to anyone, I would give preference to the women.”2
353. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Be just between your children when giving something.”3
354. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Be just between your children when granting things to them in the same manner that you would like them to be just with you in obedience and kindness.”4
355. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Allah the Exalted likes you to treat your children equally, even when kissing them.”5
356. al-‘Ayāl, narrating from al-Hasan6 who said: “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) was once speaking with his companions when a child entered and went to a corner of the mosque to his father. The father patted his son’s head and made him sit on his right knee. After a while, his daughter entered and went towards him, and he patted her on her head and made her sit on the ground.”
The Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.) said: “Why didn’t you seat her on your other knee?”
Then the man seated her on his other knee, and the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.) said: “Now you have done justice.”7
1.. Tafsir al-‘Ayyāshi, vol. ۲, p. ۱۶۶, h. ۲. Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۷۴, p. ۷۸, h. ۷۴.
2.. al-Sunan al-Kubrā, vol. ۶, p. ۲۹۴, h. ۱۲۰۰۰. al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir, vol. ۱۱, p. ۲۸۰, h. ۱۱۹۹۷. Both narrating from Ibn ‘Abbās.
3.. Sahih al-Bukhāri, vol. ۲, p. ۹۱۳, narrating from Ibn ‘Abbās.
4.. Sahih Ibn Habbān, vol. ۱۱, p. ۵۰۳, h. ۵۱۰۴, narrating from al-Nu‘mān ibn Bashir. Makārim al-Akhlāq, vol. ۱, p. ۴۷۳, h. ۱۶۲۴.
5.. Kanz al-‘Ummāl, vol. ۱۶, p. ۴۴۵, h. ۴۵۳۵۰, narrating from Ibn al-Najjār from al-Nu‘mān ibn Bashir.
6.. This could be Imām Hasan al-Mujtabā (a.s.), or Hasan al-Basri.
7.. al-‘Ayāl, vol. ۱, p. ۱۷۳, h. ۳۶.
