Question Summary:
Is it allowed to give away my child to my older brother without my wife’s consent?

Question Detail:

I am in a very strange situation at a critical time of my life. I have a one year old girl and Inshā Allah will be having another baby in January 2012. 
My elder brother doesn’t have any children yet after six years of marriage.  So my parents want this new baby to be given to my elder brother and I don’t have any problems with it. 
But wife is not agreeing to give away the baby.
So what does Shariah say about this.  As a son, am I ready to give and listen to my parents order.  Should I give without my wife’s approval or does my wife have more rights on the baby?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
According to Shariah, the mother is the first and natural guardian of the child. [1] It is also the right of the child that he/she be taken care of by the mother.  There is no one more close to the child than the mother.  No one can serve the child as good as the mother.  Hence, to hand over the guardianship of the child to someone else is depriving the mother and the child of their first and natural right.  However, if the mother forfeits her right of guardianship over the child in favor of any person, that is her right. 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mawlana Abdul Azeem bin Abdur Rahman,
Student Darul Iftaa
US
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net