gifts

Inheritance

Q: I have a question regarding inheritance. If someone could please kindly answer. I would be most grateful. A father has 5 children, 3 sons and 2 daughters. His house is in his ownership. he makes a verbal arrangement amongst some family members that this house belongs to one of his sons, although by law he does not transfer the ownership of the house to that son during his lifetime. The mother insists that even though the father is still alive , the son to whom the house is promised after the fathers death must pay his younger brother his share of the value of the house. Regarding the 3rd remaining brother it is verbally decided that he will not receive any share of the value of the house as his parents have already financially helped him. Furthermore it is agreed that the two daughters will not inherit and they both verbally express they forgo their right of any inheritance in favour of two of their brothers. If you could please give me the Islamic ruling on the validity of all this.

Gifts from customers

Q: Please advise on the permissibility of the following two gifts:

1. I recently went to Asia on a business trip on behalf of the company for which I work. I visited numerous Asian customers who gave me a small gift. I assume that this is part of the Asian culture.

2. One of the sales managers who gives out year-end gifts to our customers, gave me one of these gifts. I believe that this was surplus stock. Please advise in each case whether it is permissible to keep these gifts.

Promising to give something to someone

Q:

1. If I told someone that I will give you this dress, that person didn't say anything, can I change my decision and keep the dress for myself?

2. I told a person that I will give you something but that person said he does not need it, but I insisted on him to accept the offer and he somehow agreed, then later I thought in my mind that maybe that person really don't need my thing so well I will give it to some other person then, so can I change my decision like this?

Changing one's intention regarding giving something to someone

Q:

1. I have made niyyat to give someone something then later I changed my decision and thought I will not give. Is it allowed for me to change my decision after making niyyat to give to that person?

2) I have made niyyat to give a dress as charity to Zaid, then is it allowed for me to give the same dress for Umar as charity, because I found Umar is more deserving than Zaid? Can I change my decision this way? Whenever I make niyyat to give something to someone is it necessary that I give that thing to the same person I made niyyat for or I can give it to someone else whom I like?

Eating from that which one intended to give to a certain person

Q: My question is one night I prepared little macaroni. I ate from it and then I kept a little for my brother to eat in the morning because by that time my brother was asleep and he didn't know that I made macaroni, but the other day I had to fast so when I woke up for sehri I ate that very macaroni which I kept for my brother. Am I sinning this way? Will it become his haq after I decide to give him? will I have to ask maafi for not giving him? I am afraid whether I have eaten the haq of my brother.