1. The purpose of giving a gift is to engender love and affection in the heart.
2. Try to give a person something that he will like and appreciate.
3. Do not give someone such a gift that will create difficulty for him e.g. giving a very large and heavy gift to a person that is travelling (as it will be difficult for him to carry it and take it with him).
4. Do not give a gift anonymously, as the purpose of engendering love will be lost when the giver of the gift is unknown.
5. Do not ask a person for something or for some favour after giving them a gift, as they will feel compelled to fulfil your request. Furthermore, this gift will actually be a form of bribery.
6. Give gifts in privacy, not in public.
7. If you receive a gift and wish to give it in charity, then do not do so in the presence of the person who gave it to you, or in such a way that he will come to know that you have given it away, as this will cause him pain.
8. Even if a gift is small or has little value, one should accept it and one should not feel embarrassed or humiliated. Instead of looking at the value of the gift, value the love with which it was given.
9. It is sunnah to give a gift to the one who gave a gift to you. However, if you do not have the means to do so, then you should make du‘aa for him saying, “Jazakallah”.
10. It is not permissible to accept a gift from a person who is insane or a child who is not baaligh.
11. If one perceives that the person giving him a gift is insincere and has an ulterior motive, he should refuse the gift. Similarly, if someone is not convinced of your sincerity, you should not force them to accept your gift.
12. When accepting a gift, do not enquire regarding the price of the gift.