Children are a precious gift from God, and the blessing of a child is a special time in a person's life. All cultures and religious traditions have certain ways of welcoming a newborn child into the community.



Birth Attendants

Muslim women tend to prefer all-female attendants at the birth, whether they be doctors, nurses, midwives, doulas, or female relatives. However, it is permissible in Islam for male doctors to attend to a pregnant woman. There is no Islamic teaching that prohibits fathers from attending the birth of their child; this is left up to personal choice.

Call to Prayer (Adhan)
The practice of regular prayer is the most fundamental practice in Islam.  Muslim prayer, which is performed five times a day, can be performed almost anywhere -- either individually or in congregation.  The time of prayer is announced by the Call to Prayer (adhan) which is called from the Muslim place of worship (mosque/masjed).  These beautiful words which call the Muslim community to prayer five times a day are also the first words the Muslim baby will hear.  The father or a family elder will whisper these words in the baby's ear shortly after its birth.


Circumcision

Islam prescribes male circumcision with the sole purpose of facilitating cleanliness.  The male child may be circumcised at any time which is convenient without ceremony; however parents usually have their son circumcised before his trip home from the hospital.

Breast Feeding

Muslim women are encouraged to give their children the nourishment of breast milk. The Quran instructs that if a woman breastfeeds her children, their period of weaning is two years.
In Islam, both parents and children have rights and responsibilities. Breastfeeding is considered a child's right upon his or her parents, and it is highly recommended to do so if the mother is able.

The Quran on Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is very clearly encouraged in the Quran:

"Mothers shall breastfeed their children for two whole years, for those who wish to complete the term" (2:233).

Also, in reminding people to treat their parents with kindness,

The Quran says: "His mother carried him, in weakness upon weakness, and his period of weaning is two years" (31:14).

Aqiqah

To celebrate a child's birth, it is recommended that a father slaughter one or two animals (sheep or goats). One third of the meat is given away to the poor, and the rest shared in a community meal. Relatives, friends, and neighbors are thus invited to share in celebrating the happy event. This is traditionally done the seventh day after the child's birth, but may be postponed to later. The name for this event comes from the Arabic word 'aq, which means "cut." This is also traditionally the time when the child's hair is cut or shaved.
Note: After the seventh day of the arrival of the new-born, as a form of welcome for it and to give thanks to the One who gave the blessings, it is prescribed to slaughter a sheep. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

"Every child is in pledge for its Aqiqah which is sacrificed for it o­n its seventh day, and it is named o­n it, and its head is shaved" [Abu Dawud]

If the new-born is a boy then two sheep are to be sacrificed, and if it is a girl then o­ne sheep. This is the position of the majority of the scholars and Companions. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

"For the boy two equal sheep, and for the girl, a single sheep." [ibn Majah]

So it is permissible to sacrifice the male or female sheep or goat, and this is best. As for sacrificing other animals then the scholars have differed over this.

The sacrifice should be done by the father or a close relative, for our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Aqiqah for his two grandsons. It is also obligatory to mention the name of Allah over it while sacrificing, and if a close relative is performing the Aqiqah then he should add, 'This Aqiqah is the Aqiqah of so and so' mentioning the name of the person on whose behalf he is performing the Aqiqah, as is reported in the hadith related by al-Bayhaqi.

The meat of the sacrifice may be distributed cooked or uncooked,, but it is preferred that it should be cooked as this leads to greater blessing as mentioned by a group of the scholars.

Naming the Child

One of the very first duties that parents have toward a new child, besides physical care and love, is to give the child a meaningful Muslim name. It is reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "On the Day of Resurrection, you will be called by your names and by your fathers' names, so give yourselves good names" (Hadith Abu Dawud).  Muslim children are usually named within seven days of their birth.

The baby may be named o­n the day of it's birth or later o­n the seventh day or past the seventh day, as this is what is clear after study of all the evidences from the sunnah.

It is the father or the mother who chose the name for the baby. If they differ amongst themselves then it is the father who has the choice, he may name it himself or give his wife the right to choose. The fact that this is the right of the father is shown by the principle that the child is ascribed and attributed to the father, as Allah says,

"Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just in the Sight of Allah" [Noble Quran 33:5]

It is also allowed for the parents to allow others to name the child, since our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to name some of the children of his Companions.

The name should carry a good and praiseworthy meaning as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

"On the Day of Resurrection, you will be called by your names and your fathers names, so make your names good." [Abu Dawud]

It is recommended to call o­neself a servant of Allah (Abdullah) or the servant of any of the names of Allah. Then it is recommended to name a child after a Prophet, due to the hadith,

"Call yourselves by the names of the Prophets" [Abu Dawud]

and the hadith,

"A son was born to me this night and I called him after my forefather Ibrahim" [Muslim]

Then it is recommended to name the child after any pious person in the hope that it will become like him/her. Then it is recommended to name by any name which has good meaning.

It is forbidden to name a child with a name that denote servitude to other than Allah, for example Abd an-Nabi, Abd ar-Rasul etc, just as it is forbidden to name them with names that are particular to the Unbelievers like George, Michael, Susan etc.

The names of tyrants and evil personalities should be avoided such as Fir'awn, Qarun, Abu Lahab etc.. Likewise it is disliked to name with the names of the Surahs of the Quran like 'Ta Ha' or 'Ya Sin' as is reported from Imam Malik and others. There is no authentic hadith which ascribes the above two as being names of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Visitors

Of course new mothers traditionally get many happy visitors. Among Muslims, visiting and assisting the indisposed is a basic form of worship to bring one closer to God.  For this reason, the new Muslim mother will often have many female visitors. It is common for close family members to visit right away, and for other visitors to wait until a week or more after birth in order to protect the child from exposure to illnesses. The new mother is in convalescence for a period of 40 days, during which friends and relatives will often provide the family with meals.





IsamExpert

Can u please expatiate the Adhan part?
Thanks

Drniyi4u:
Can u please expatiate the Adhan part?
Thanks

The adhan is the call to prayer itself, and the person who calls it is called the muadhan.

The following is the Arabic transliteration and the English translation of what you say during the call of prayer:

The father or a family elder will whisper these words in the baby's ear shortly after its birth.

Allahu Akbar
God is Great
(said four times)

Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah
I bear witness that there is no god except the One God.



(said two times)

Ashadu anna Muhammadan Rasool Allah
I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
(said two times)

Hayya 'ala-s-Salah
Hurry to the prayer (Rise up for prayer)
(said two times)

Hayya 'ala-l-Falah
Hurry to success (Rise up for Salvation)
(said two times)

Allahu Akbar
God is Great
[said two times]

La ilaha illa Allah
There is no god except the One God


The first practice to do is to make the adhaan in the ear of the baby, so that the first words that the baby hears is the name of Allah, and the kalima.

It is to be given straight after the birth, or very soon afterwards as he (SAW) did with his grandson al-Husayn, as is related by Abu
Raafi' who said,
"I saw the Prophet give the adhaan for prayer in the ear of al-Husayn ibn Alee when his mother Faatimah gave birth to him," (Tirmidhee)

It should be given with it's usual wording in a voice which is audible to the baby, not so loudly that it risks harm to the baby or alarms it.

Only the adhaan is to be given, not the iqaamah as well as there is no authentic evidence to support this. Giving the adhaan only is also the reported practice of the Khaleefah Umar bin Abdul Azeez. This is
closer to the sunnah, and Allaah knows best.

The sunnah has not specified as to which ear it should be given, however the Messenger (SAW) used to love to do good actions starting from the right, so it would be more appropriate to give the adhaan in the right ear.

Sub han Allah that's so beautiful

I can't wait to practice all this for my first born


Op I have a question if a child is adopted could one do all these rights and ritual for that child?


#Alhamdulilaah

Jazakallahu bil jannah OP.


At-tahniq comes before breastfeeding:

At-tahniq is the process of feeding the new born with chewed or grinded debt nut.


It is highly encouraged that it should be the first thing that enters the child‘s gut.


Wallahu Ta‘ala A‘alam.

Kagarko:


At-tahniq is the process of feeding the new born with chewed or grinded debt nut.

What's a "debt nut"? Do you mean "dates"? Shukran.

And, OP, thanks for the thread!

isalegan2:

What's a "debt nut"? Do you mean "dates"? Shukran.
And, OP, thanks for the thread!

Typing error pls.
Yes “dates“
Shukran.

Kagarko:


Typing error pls.

Yes “dates“

Shukran.

Oh. Thanks, na manta Dabino aspect

Jazaakallah KhaIr
Btw, can a female proupronounce the adham in the ears of the child in the case no there's no male member to do so?
Also about the verse of the Qur'an talking about breastfeeding ordained by Allah, If one chooses to bottle feed without any justified reason wo uld it be considered makruh or sin?

isalegan2:


What's a "debt nut"? Do you mean "dates"? Shukran.

And, OP, thanks for the thread!

soften a date and then rub the palate of the new-born with it just after the birth or soon after. This is done by putting a piece of the softened date o­n the finger and rubbing it from left to right in the mouth of the baby.

Ibn Hajr said, "if o­ne is not able to find a dry date, then a fresh date should be used, and if that is not available then anything sweet." [Fath 9/588]

It is not essential to chew the date rather it may be softened in any way. The action of chewing as reported in the sunnah was something specific to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) due to the blessings that Allah had placed in his saliva.

It is done by the father or the mother or anyone from the People of Knowledge whose supplication is hoped would be accepted. So he should perform Tahnik and supplicate for the child as was the practice of the Companions.

Imam Nawawi says, "Scholars are agreed upon the recommendation of performing tahnik upon the baby after its birth." [Sharh Sahih Muslim 4/122]

Ayshah reports, "new-born children used to be brought to the Messenger of Allah and he would supplicate for blessings for them, and rub a chewed date upon their palate." [Muslim]

enieme:
Jazaakallah KhaIr
Btw, can a female proupronounce the adham in the ears of the child in the case no there's no male member to do so?
Also about the verse of the Qur'an talking about breastfeeding ordained by Allah, If one chooses to bottle feed without any justified reason wo uld it be considered makruh or sin?

Islam strongly recommends breastfeeding, but recognizes that for various reasons, parents may be unable or unwilling to complete the recommended two years. The decision about breastfeeding and the time of weaning is expected to be a mutual decision by both parents, in consideration of what is best for their family. point, the Quran says: “If they both (parents) decide on weaning, by mutual consent, and after due consultation, there is no blame on them" (2:233).

It is also acceptable in Islam for a child to be breastfed by a foster-mother. This has been common practice in some cultures and time periods. The same verse continues: "And if you decide on a foster-mother for your offspring, there is no blame on you, provided you pay (the foster-mother) what you offered, on equitable terms" (2:233).

Weaning

According to the Quran verses quoted above, it is considered a child's right to be breastfed until the approximate age of two.

Ahmed4002:


Islam strongly recommends breastfeeding, but recognizes that for various reasons, parents may be unable or unwilling to complete the recommended two years. The decision about breastfeeding and the time of weaning is expected to be a mutual decision by both parents, in consideration of what is best for their family.

Sorry I meant formula feeding.

Ahmed4002:


soften a date and then rub the palate of the new-born with it just after the birth or soon after. This is done by putting a piece of the softened date o­n the finger and rubbing it from left to right in the mouth of the baby.

Ibn Hajr said, "if o­ne is not able to find a dry date, then a fresh date should be used, and if that is not available then anything sweet." [Fath 9/588]

It is not essential to chew the date rather it may be softened in any way. The action of chewing as reported in the sunnah was something specific to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) due to the blessings that Allah had placed in his saliva.

It is done by the father or the mother or anyone from the People of Knowledge whose supplication is hoped would be accepted. So he should perform Tahnik and supplicate for the child as was the practice of the Companions.

Imam Nawawi says, "Scholars are agreed upon the recommendation of performing tahnik upon the baby after its birth." [Sharh Sahih Muslim 4/122]

Ayshah reports, "new-born children used to be brought to the Messenger of Allah and he would supplicate for blessings for them, and rub a chewed date upon their palate." [Muslim]

I thought this was to be done on the day the child is to be named.
Btw. Someone else asked a q about an adopted child. Still waiting for ur reply

enieme:

.

You can use formula feeding + Breast Feeding.

Islam recognizes the importance of breastfeeding to the growth and development of a child, and the special bond that develops between a nursing woman and a baby. A woman who substantially nurses a child (more than five times before the age of two years) becomes a "milk mother" to the child, which is a relationship with special rights under Islamic law.In summary, breastfeeding offers many benefits to both mother and child. Islam supports the scientific view that breastmilk offers the best nutrition for an infant, and recommends that nursing continue to the child's second birthday.

enieme:

I thought this was to be done on the day the child is to be named.
Btw. Someone else asked a q about an adopted child. Still waiting for ur reply

just after the birth or soon after.

Ahmed4002:

You can use formula feeding + Breast Feeding.

Islam recognizes the importance of breastfeeding to the growth and development of a child, and the special bond that develops between a nursing woman and a baby. A woman who substantially nurses a child (more than five times before the age of two years) becomes a "milk mother" to the child, which is a relationship with special rights under Islamic law.In summary, breastfeeding offers many benefits to both mother and child. Islam supports the scientific view that breastmilk offers the best nutrition for an infant, and recommends that nursing continue to the child's second birthday.

how about formula feeding alone. No breastfeeding as Allah ordained. Can one do that?

enieme:

how about formula feeding alone. No breastfeeding as Allah ordained. Can one do that?

Sub ha nallah.

Islamic teaching encourages mothers to nurse their children. The renowned Ibn Hazim said, "A mother should nurse her baby even if she was the daughter of the king. She is not exempted from that duty, unless she is incapable of nursing."

Only if the mother cannot nurse the baby (for example, if she lacks milk in her breasts), then a wet nurse must be asked to help(no even alternate for formular). The wet nurse in Islam is a foster mother; she is also considered as the child's mother. Her children become the baby's brothers and sisters, and her husband becomes another father for the baby. No marriage, however, is allowed between the baby and its foster mother's children, brothers, sisters and husband.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) consider these companies as the number one killer of babies in the Third World and have strongly advised Third World governments to ban the advertising of manufactured baby foods.
Bottle-fed infants in the Third World often receive dilute and contaminated feeds containing little nutrients and massive doses of micro-organisms. It is estimated that 9.4 million cases of severe malnutrition occur in the Third World annually, of which at least half are due to bottle feeding.Similarly, there are annually about 10 million infant deaths due to GE in the Third World. At least half of them are due to bottle feeding.
Thus, we find 10 million babies die annually due to the widespread use of bottle feeding in the Third World. They can be saved by the simple measure of breast feeding.

Ahmed4002:


Sub ha nallah.

Islamic teaching encourages mothers to nurse their children. The renowned Ibn Hazim said, "A mother should nurse her baby even if she was the daughter of the king. She is not exempted from that duty, unless she is incapable of nursing."

Only if the mother cannot nurse the baby (for example, if she lacks milk in her breasts), then a wet nurse must be asked to help(no even alternate for formular). The wet nurse in Islam is a foster mother; she is also considered as the child's mother. Her children become the baby's brothers and sisters, and her husband becomes another father for the baby. No marriage, however, is allowed between the baby and its foster mother's children, brothers, sisters and husband.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) consider these companies as the number one killer of babies in the Third World and have strongly advised Third World governments to ban the advertising of manufactured baby foods.
Bottle-fed infants in the Third World often receive dilute and contaminated feeds containing little nutrients and massive doses of micro-organisms. It is estimated that 9.4 million cases of severe malnutrition occur in the Third World annually, of which at least half are due to bottle feeding.Similarly, there are annually about 10 million infant deaths due to GE in the Third World. At least half of them are due to bottle feeding.
Thus, we find 10 million babies die annually due to the widespread use of bottle feeding in the Third World. They can be saved by the simple measure of breast feeding.

tqs for the write up but what I'm asking about is not the benefit but the Islamic ruling

enieme:

tqs for the write up but what I'm asking about is not the benefit but the Islamic ruling

Is not allowed without any reason.

Ahmed4002:

Is not allowed without any reason.

evidence to show that?

Jazakallah khaeran

cc
seun
Aminat508
it's Friday. jumaat kareem

The hadith of calling adhan on the baby is a weak narration.