Question

Assalamu alaikum.

Would it be allowed to use our own children money ( for general spending not particularly spend on children)when they receive them as a gift from our relatives ?
JazakAllah khayra

Answer

If someone gifts money to a child, the money belongs to that child. The parents may only use that money on the child and cannot use it for their personal expenses.

One point to bare in mind is that sometimes a person may give money to the parent because they have a child and not necessarily intend gifting to the child themselves. The intention of the donor is to help the parents out financially and not necessarily for that money to be spent on the child. In such a case the money is owned by the parent and can be spent as they need. Child benefit payments will fall into this category.

More detail on child benefit can be found here:

Who does child benefit money belong to?

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (3/ 612)
وتجب) النفقة بأنواعها على الحر (لطفله) يعم الأنثى والجمع (الفقير) الحر، فإن نفقة المملوك على مالكه والغني في ماله الحاضر 

قوله والغني في ماله الحاضر) يشمل العقار والأردية والثياب، فإذا احتيج إلى النفقة كان للأب بيع ذلك كله وينفق عليه؛ لأنه غني بهذه الأشياء بحر وفتح

Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow

Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel