Answered by: Maulana Jamal Ahmed
Question:
I am emailing to find out if I can use my children’s child benefit money to go to hajj.
We have a restaurant that sells food and alcohol. Can I separate the food money from alcohol and use that to do Hajj?
Answer
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In principal, if a child owns something the parents are not allowed to spend it for their personal use and if he is not baligh then they cannot even borrow it. (Ahsanul Fatawa, pg.263, vol.7, HM Saeed Company)
In terms of money and/or items gifted to children by others such as family and friends, the Islamic ruling will depend on the intention of those who gave the gift:
If the intention was to gift money and/or items to the parents so that they may spend on their child, then such items and money will be the property of the parents. Government benefits such as Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit are paid to the parent deemed to have care of the child [usually the mother], thus these benefits received will also be the property of the parent. For further details follow the link: http://www.daruliftaa.com/node/7032?txt_QuestionID
Therefore, it will be allowed to use child benefit for the purpose of hajj, however, it is better to use it on the child.
As for doing hajj with haram income, the hajj will not be accepted i.e. he will not be rewarded for it and he will get sin for spending haram income for hajj. However, his duty of performing hajj is considered to be fulfilled. (Kitabun Nawazil, vol.7, pg. 323, Al markazu lil milin nashri wat tahqeeq.)
Therefore, if you separate the halal income from the haram and use the halal income, then the hajj will be accepted Insha Allah.
قال في الدر المختار ما نصه،. ﻭﻳﺒﺎﺡ ﻟﻮﺍﻟﺪﻳﻪ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺄﻛﻠﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺄﻛﻮﻝ ﻭﻫﺐ ﻟﻪ, ﻭﻗﻴﻞ ﻟﺎ, ﺍﻧﺘﻬﻰ, ﻓﺄﻓﺎﺩ ﺃﻥ ﻏﻴﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﺄﻛﻮﻝ ﻟﺎ ﻳﺒﺎﺡ ﻟﻬﻤﺎ ﺇﻟﺎ ﻟﺤﺎﺟﺔ ﻭﺿﻌﻮﺍ ﻫﺪﺍﻳﺎ ﺍﻟﺨﺘﺎﻥ ﺑﻴﻦ ﻳﺪﻱ ﺍﻟﺼﺒﻲ ﻓﻤﺎ ﻳﺼﻠﺢ ﻟﻪ ﻛﺜﻴﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﺼﺒﻴﺎﻥ ﻓﺎﻟﻬﺪﻳﺔ ﻟﻪ, ﻭﺇﻟﺎ ﻓﺈﻥ ﺍﻟﻤﻬﺪﻱ ﻣﻦ ﺃﻗﺮﺑﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﺄﺏ ﺃﻭ ﻣﻌﺎﺭﻓﻪ ﻓﻠﻠﺄﺏ ﺃﻭ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻌﺎﺭﻑ ﺍﻟﺄﻡ ﻓﻠﻠﺄﻡ, ﻗﺎﻝ ﻫﺬﺍ ﻟﺼﺒﻲ ﺃﻭ ﻟﺎ, ﻭﻟﻮ ﻗﺎﻝ: ﺃﻫﺪﻳﺖ ﻟﻠﺄﺏ ﺃﻭ ﻟﻠﺄﻡ ﻓﺎﻟﻘﻮﻝ ﻟﻪ. وقال في حاشيته رد المحتار ما نصه.. ﻭﻓﻲ ﻓﺘﺎﻭﻯ ﺳﻤﺮﻗﻨﺪ: ﺇﺫﺍ ﺃﻫﺪﻱ ﺍﻟﻔﻮﺍﻛﻪ ﻟﻠﺼﻐﻴﺮ ﻳﺤﻞ ﻟﻠﺄﺑﻮﻳﻦ ﺍﻟﺄﻛﻞ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﺇﺫﺍ ﺃﺭﻳﺪ ﺑﺬﻟﻚ ﺍﻟﺄﺑﻮﺍﻥ ﻟﻜﻦ ﺍﻟﺈﻫﺪﺍﺀ ﻟﻠﺼﻐﻴﺮ ﺍﺳﺘﺼﻐﺎﺭﺍ ﻟﻠﻬﺪﻳﺔ ﺍﻩ.
ﻗﻠﺖ: ﻭﺑﻪ ﻳﺤﺼﻞ ﺍﻟﺘﻮﻓﻴﻖ, ﻭﻳﻈﻬﺮ ﺫﻟﻚ ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺮﺍﺋﻦ, ﻭﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻓﻠﺎ ﻓﺮﻕ ﺑﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﺄﻛﻮﻝ ﻭﻏﻴﺮﻩ ﺑﻞ ﻏﻴﺮﻩ ﺃﻇﻬﺮ ﻓﺘﺄﻣﻞ, (ﻗﻮﻟﻪ: ﻓﺄﻓﺎﺩ) ﺃﺻﻠﻪ ﻟﺼﺎﺣﺐ ﺍﻟﺒﺤﺮ ﻭﺗﺒﻌﻪ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﺢ (ﻗﻮﻟﻪ ﺇﻟﺎ ﻟﺤﺎﺟﺔ) ﻗﺎﻝ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺘﺘﺎﺭﺧﺎﻧﻴﺔ: ﻭﺇﺫﺍ ﺍﺣﺘﺎﺝ ﺍﻟﺄﺏ ﺇﻟﻰ ﻣﺎﻝ ﻭﻟﺪﻩ ﻓﺈﻥ ﻛﺎﻧﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺼﺮ ﻭﺍﺣﺘﺎﺝ ﻟﻔﻘﺮﻩ ﺃﻛﻞ ﺑﻐﻴﺮ ﺷﻲﺀ ﻭﺇﻥ ﻛﺎﻧﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﻔﺎﺯﺓ ﻭﺍﺣﺘﺎﺝ ﺇﻟﻴﻪ ﻟﺎﻧﻌﺪﺍﻡ ﺍﻟﻄﻌﺎﻡ ﻣﻌﻪ ﻓﻠﻪ ﺍﻟﺄﻛﻞ ﺑﺎﻟﻘﻴﻤﺔ ﺍﻩ (ﻗﻮﻟﻪ ﻓﺎﻟﻘﻮﻝ ﻟﻪ) ﻟﺄﻧﻪ ﻫﻮ ﺍﻟﻤﻤﻠﻚ.
(Raddul Muhtar, vol. 5, pg. 696, Darul Fikr)
ﺇﺫﺍ ﺃﺭﺍﺩ ﺍﻟﺮﺟﻞ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺤﺞ ﺑﻤﺎﻝ ﺣﻠﺎﻝ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺷﺒﻬﺔ ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﻳﺴﺘﺪﻳﻦ ﻟﻠﺤﺞ ﻭﻳﻘﻀﻲ ﺩﻳﻨﻪ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺎﻟﻪ ﻛﺬﺍ ﻓﻲ ﻓﺘﺎﻭﻯ ﻗﺎﺿﻲ ﺧﺎﻥ ﻓﻲ
ﺍﻟﻤﻘﻄﻌﺎﺕ.
ﻭﻳﺠﺘﻬﺪ ﻓﻲ ﺗﺤﺼﻴﻞ ﻧﻔﻘﺔ ﺣﻠﺎﻝ ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﻟﺎ ﻳﻘﺒﻞ ﺍﻟﺤﺞ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﻔﻘﺔ ﺍﻟﺤﺮﺍﻡ ﻣﻊ ﺃﻧﻪ ﻳﺴﻘﻂ ﺍﻟﻔﺮﺽ ﻣﻌﻬﺎ, ﻭﺇﻥ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻣﻐﺼﻮﺑﺔ ﻛﺬﺍ ﻓﻲ ﻓﺘﺢ ﺍﻟﻘﺪﻳﺮ
(Fatawa Hindiya, pg. 220, vol. 1, Darul Fikr)
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Jamal Ahmed
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham