GIFTS FOR CHILDREN

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wasallam) said that no property of a Muslim is halaal without his permission and without him giving it of his own free will (i.e. without being pressured).
It is clear from this Hadith that one cannot take, use, or dispose of property without the permission of its owner.

It should be emphasised that the permission of a minor is not valid in Islam. Therefore, a guardian cannot, according to the Shari'ah, use or dispose of the property of a minor in his care.
Following the same logic, parents do not have the right to use or dispose of gifts offered exclusively to their minor children.

However, if it is established that the "gifts" were, in fact, intended for the parents and not the children, then the parents can dispose of them.

Indeed, sometimes some hosts give gifts (money, for example) to their visitors, especially those who are poor, at the time of their departure. However, they often give them into the hands of a child instead of his parents, so as not to embarrass the latter or because of fear that they will refuse out of shame.

In such cases, where it is clear that the money or gift is intended for the parents and not for their children, the parents can dispose of it as they wish. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Based on the principles listed above, the Fuqaha say that parents do not have the right to give clothes bought for one of their minor children to another of their children, even if the child in question has given his consent. Let us recall that the permission of a minor is not valid in Islam.

It should be noted here that parents will have full freedom to give the clothes to anyone they want if, at the time of buying them, they have reserved the right to dispose of them as they see fit and only give them to the child concerned to use, without making him or her the owner. Therefore, in such a case, parents can, for example, give the clothes of one of their children to the younger sister or brother of the latter.

[English version of "‎Cadeaux destinés aux enfants" – Al Haadi – Vol. 1 No. 8]