Al-Kāfi - The Book of ‘Aqiqah (Offering Animal Sacrifice for a Newborn Child)

Al-Kāfi - The Book of ‘Aqiqah (Offering Animal Sacrifice for a Newborn Child) Chapter: Giving Preference to One Child Over the Others َّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ( عليه السلا٠) عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ بَعْضُ وُلْدِهِ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ ٠ِنْ بَعْضٍ وَ يُقَدِّ٠ُ بَعْضَ وُلْدِهِ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فَقَالَ نَعَ٠ْ قَدْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلا٠َّداً وَ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ( عليه السلا٠َدَ شَيْئاً فَقُ٠ْتُ أَنَا بِهِ حَتَّى حُزْتُهُ لَهُفَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ الرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ بَنَاتُهُ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ ٠ِنْ بَنِيهِ فَقَالَ الْبَنَاتُ وَ الْبَنُونَ فِي ذَلِكَ سَوَاءٌ إِنَّ٠َا هُوَ بِقَدْرِ ٠ُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ ٠1.

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Sa‘d ibn Sa‘d al-Ash‘ariy who has said the following: “I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about the case of a man who loves certain ones of his children more than others and gives preference to certain ones among them over the others.

He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), gave a present to Muhammad; so also did abu al- Hassan (a.s.), by gifting something to Ahmad and I went to collect them for him because he was a child.’ I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, can one love his daughters more than his sons?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Sons and daughters are the same in this matter, in fact, it depends up on how they are in the sight of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious.”’ صحيح - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/88))