Fatwa No : 97167
A father-in-law demanding from his son-in-law the money received from the sale of his wife’s gold

A father-in-law demanding from his son-in-law the money received from the sale of his wife’s gold

What do the respected Islamic scholars say regarding the following matter? The husband gave his wife one tola of gold as her Mahr (dower). Subsequently, from the wife's side, the wife’s father, i.e. his father-in-law, gave his daughter half a tola of gold as a personal gift. Due to financial difficulties, the husband sold the gold, which amounted to one and a half tolas, with his wife’s consent. Now, his father-in-law is demanding that the half tola of gold he had given to his daughter be returned to him. The son-in-law asks whether it is Islamically valid for his father-in-law to demand the return of this half tola of gold that he had given to his daughter as a gift. The marriage took place in 2021.

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

In the case in question, if the girl’s father gave his daughter half a tola of gold as a gift, and she took possession of it, then she became the owner of that gold. Accordingly, the gold passed from the ownership of the questioner’s father-in-law into the ownership of the questioner’s wife, after which she was entitled to dispose of it as she wished. Therefore, the questioner’s father-in-law is not Islamically entitled to demand the return of that gold, and he must refrain from doing so.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

کما فی الھدایۃ: ‌الهبة ‌عقد مشروع لقوله عليه الصلاة والسلام: "تهادوا تحابوا" وعلى ذلك انعقد الإجماع "وتصح بالإيجاب والقبول والقبض اھ (کتاب الھبۃ،ج:3،ص:401،مط:مکتبۃ البشریٰ)
وفی الھندیۃ: ‌ولا ‌يتم ‌حكم ‌الهبة إلا مقبوضة ويستوي فيه الأجنبي والولد إذا كان بالغا، هكذا في المحيط.الخ(‌‌الباب الثاني فيما يجوز من الهبة وما لا يجوز،ج:4،ص:377،مط:مکتبہ ماجدیۃ)
وفی الدرالمختار: جهز ابنته بجهاز وسلمها ذلك ليس له الاسترداد منها ولا لورثته بعد أن سلمها ذلك وفي صحته) بل تختص به (وبه يفتى)الخ(باب المھر،مطلب فیما یرسلہ الی الزوجۃ،ج:3،ص:155،مط:ایچ ایم سعید)
وفی الھدایۃ:قال وإن وهب هبة لذي رحم محرم منه فلا رجوع فيها" لقوله عليه الصلاة والسلام: "إذا كانت الهبة لذي رحم محرم منه لم يرجع فيها"؛ ولأن المقصود فيها صلة الرحم وقد حصل الخ(باب الرجوع فی الھبۃ،ج:3،ص:226،مط: دار احياء التراث العربي)