How to Welcome a Newborn Baby


Question and answer details
Daniele
2015/04/21
Dear scholars, as-salaam `alaykum. What is supposed to be done when a child is born? My wife is pregnant with twin girls and we don't know exactly what the rituals associated with birth are (head-shaving, singing adhan, etc.). Could you help us, please?
Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjid
Answer
Wa`alykum As-Salaamu Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear brother in Islam, we would like to thank you for showing keenness on knowing the teachings of Islam concerning your prospective babies. We also appreciate the great confidence you have in us wishing that our efforts meet your expectations.
Regarding your question, there are many Prophetic rituals for welcoming the newly born baby. Examples of these are `aqeeqah, naming him/her and reciting the adhan (call for Prayer) with a gentle voice in his ear.
With regard to your question, Sheikh M. S. Al-Munajjid, a prominent Saudi Muslim lecturer and author, gave the following Fatwa:
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Here are the Prophetic acts recommended for welcoming the newborn:
1-Tahneek (rubbing the baby’s mouth with a well-chewed date) and praying for him
It was narrated that Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "A son was born to me, and I took him to the Prophet who named him Ibrahim, did tahneek for him with a date, invoked Allah to bless him and then he returned him back to me.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
We should pray to Allah to bless the new baby and make him or her among the righteous so that raising them as pious servants of Allah will weigh in the balance of one's good deeds, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “When a son of Adam dies, all his good deeds come to an end, except for three things: ongoing charity (sadaqah jaariyah), beneficial knowledge and a righteous son who prays for him.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
`A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) is reported to have said, "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did `aqeeqah (welcoming feast) for Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn on the seventh day, and gave them names." (Ibn Hibban)
2-Naming
The baby should be given a good name when born. For further information about the Islamic guidance on naming the children, we urge you to read the following fatwa: Islamic Guidance in Choosing Names.
3-`Aqeeqah and circumcision
It is reported on the authority of Salman Ibn `Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “For the boy there should be an `aqeeqah; slaughter (an animal) for him and remove the harmful thing [i.e. the foreskin] from him.” (At-Tirmidhi)
It is reported that Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) quotes the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying: “A boy is ransomed by his `aqeeqah. Sacrifice should be made for him on the seventh day, he should be given a name and his head should be shaved.” (At-Tirmidhi)
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) states, "Among the benefits of `aqeeqah are:
a- It is a sacrifice by means of which the child is brought close to Allah soon after he comes into this world.
b- It is a ransom for the newborn so that he or she can intercede for his parents.
c- It is a sacrifice by which the newborn is ransomed just as Allah ransomed Isma`il with the ram. (Tuhfat al-Mawdood, p. 69)"
d- Perhaps another benefit of the `aqeeqah is the gathering of relatives and friends for the walimah (feast).
As for circumcision, it is a part of the practices akin to the true nature of people (sunan al-fitrah. It is obligatory in the case of boys because it is connected to matters of purity which are essential conditions of prayer.
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates, “Five things are related to the Fitrah: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, plucking the armpit hair, cutting the nails and trimming the moustache.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
4-Reciting the adhan into the baby’s right ear
This is done so that the first thing he hears in this world will be the words oftawheed (Oneness of Allah). As forthe iqamah (commencement-prayer call) into the baby's left ear, there is no authentic hadiths to prove it. (See As-Silsilah al-Da`eefah, 1/491)
5-Shaving the baby's head then anointing it with saffron
After doing this, it is recommended to give charity of gold or silver equal in weight to the baby's hair. This does not have to be done by actually weighing the hair; if it is too difficult to do that, it is sufficient to estimate the weight and give paper currency equivalent to the price of that amount of gold or silver.
We pray to Allah to protect us and our children from all evils and to keep them safe and sound in this world and in the Hereafter.
Allah Almighty knows best.

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