Short answer
A child has the right to a good name, to be provided for, to be taught the faith and good manners, to be treated with mercy, and to be treated fairly beside brothers and sisters. In the Hanafi school the father must support his children until a son can earn and a daughter marries.
The father's maintenance (nafaqah) of his minor children is wajib, continuing for a son until he can earn and for a daughter until she marries. Treating children equally in gifts is the sunnah; the fatwa follows Abu Yusuf that sons and daughters get equal gifts, and preferring one without a valid reason is makruh.
Other madhhabs
- Hanbali
- Fairness in gifts is wajib and follows inheritance shares; an unfair gift must be corrected.
Explanation
Parents will be asked about their children: the Prophet ﷺ said each of you is a shepherd and responsible for his flock. The four schools agree on the core rights below, and differ mainly on the detail of gifts.
The main rights:
- A good name and the sunnahs of birth, such as the aqiqah. See good names.
- Provision: food, clothing, housing, health care and education. Neglecting those you support is a sin.
- Faith and manners: teaching belief, prayer, the Quran, honesty and respect.
- Mercy: affection, play and patience. Harshness is not the sunnah; see hitting children.
- Fairness: no favourite child, and no preference of sons over daughters.
- Protection: keeping them safe from harm, including harmful content online and unsupervised screens.
Fairness in gifts: a Companion wanted the Prophet ﷺ to witness a gift to one son only. He asked whether he had given the same to all his children, and when the answer was no, he said: fear Allah and be fair between your children. Inheritance is a separate matter with fixed shares; see the inheritance calculator.
Daughters: the Prophet ﷺ promised that whoever raises two girls until they come of age will be with him on the Day of Judgement. Children also owe their parents rights in return; see rights of parents, and make the dua for children.
The evidence
Quran, Surah At-Tahrim 66:6
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًۭا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌۭ شِدَادٌۭ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ﴿٦﴾
O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.
Parents are responsible for their children's guidance.
Quran, Surah Al-Israa 17:31
وَلَا تَقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَوْلَٰدَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَٰقٍۢ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ كَانَ خِطْـًۭٔا كَبِيرًۭا ﴿٣١﴾
And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin.
A child's life and provision are protected by Allah.
Sahih al-Bukhari 893
Sahih... كلكم راع وكلكم مسئول عن رعيته ...
"Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock."
Parents will be asked about their children.
Sahih al-Bukhari 2587
Sahih... فاتقوا الله واعدلوا بين أولادكم ...
"Fear Allah and be fair between your children."
Fairness between children in gifts.
Sahih Muslim 2631
Sahih... من عال جاريتين حتى تبلغا ...
"Whoever raises two girls until they reach maturity will come on the Day of Judgement with me like this."
The special reward for raising daughters.
Sunan Abi Dawud 1692
Graded hasan... كفى بالمرء إثما أن يضيع من يقوت ...
"It is enough sin for a person to neglect those he is responsible to feed."
Providing for children is a duty.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Talaq, chapter on maintenance. The father's duty of maintenance for his children.
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hibah. Equality between children in gifts and the fatwa on Abu Yusuf's view.
- al-Mughni (Ibn Qudama), Kitab al-Hibah. The Hanbali view that fairness in gifts is obligatory.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.