Muwatta Malik, Book 36, Hadith 41 (USC-MSA) ⓘ

Malik related to me from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az-Zubayr from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abd al-Qari that Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "What is wrong with men who give their sons gifts and then keep them and if the son dies, they say, 'My property is in my possession and I did not give it to anyone.' But if they themselves are dying, they say, 'It belongs to my son, I gave it to him.' Whoever gives a gift, and does not hand it over to the one to whom it was given, the gift is invalid, and if he dies it belongs to the heirs in general."

وَحَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَبْدٍ الْقَارِيِّ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، قَالَ مَا بَالُ رِجَالٍ يَنْحَلُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ نُحْلاً ثُمَّ يُمْسِكُونَهَا فَإِنْ مَاتَ ابْنُ أَحَدِهِمْ قَالَ مَالِي بِيَدِي لَمْ أُعْطِهِ أَحَدًا ‏.‏ وَإِنْ مَاتَ هُوَ قَالَ هُوَ لاِبْنِي قَدْ كُنْتُ أَعْطَيْتُهُ إِيَّاهُ ‏.‏ مَنْ نَحَلَ نِحْلَةً فَلَمْ يَحُزْهَا الَّذِي نُحِلَهَا - حَتَّى يَكُونَ إِنْ مَاتَ لِوَرَثَتِهِ - فَهِيَ بَاطِلٌ ‏.‏

Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "What is done in our community about some one who gives a gift not intending a reward is that he calls witnesses to it. It is affirmed for the one to whom it has been given unless the giver dies before the one to whom it was given receives the gift." He said, "If the giver wants to keep the gift after he has had it witnessed, he cannot. If the recipient claims it from him, he takes it." Malik said, "If some one gives a gift and then withdraws it and the recipient brings a witness to testify for him that he was given the gift, be it goods, gold, silver or animals, the recipient is made to take an oath. If he refuses, the giver is made to take an oath. If he also refuses to take an oath, he gives to the recipient what he claims from him if he has at least one witness. If he does not have a witness, he has nothing. " Malik said, "If someone gives a gift not expecting anything in return and then the recipient dies, the heirs are in his place. If the giver dies before the recipient has received his gift, the recipient has nothing. That is because he was given a gift which he did not take possession of. If the giver wants to keep it, and he has called witnesses to the gift, he cannot do that. If the recipient claims his right he takes it."