#364: On the Obligatory Things to be done for a New Born Child
“Assalamu Alaikum: what is required of a Father according to the Sunnah whose wife jst gave birth? What is the father suppose to say to the child. Hudub”
ANSWER
Wa alaykum salaam Warahmatullāhi Wabarakātuh
Alhamdulillāh.
We apologise sincerely for the delay in responding to your question. We ask Allāh to forgive us and you altogether, Āmīn.
Regarding your question, the things that are obligatory upon the father of a child to do after the birth of his Child are many. What follows are some of them and supported with the proofs from the Ahaadith.
1. Al-Adhaan.
It is transmitted and recorded in the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad, the Sunan of Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi – rahimahumullaah – from the Companion Abu Raafi’ – radiyallaahu anhu – who said:
“I saw the Messenger of Allāh – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – recite the Adhaan of Salaat into the ears of Hasan bn Aliyy when he was born by Faatimah.”
At-Tirmidhi said: ‘the hadith is authentic and acted upon’
Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddin Al-Albaani – rahimahullaah – declared it Hasan in his collection ‘Irwaa’u Al-Ghalil’ 4/401, then he declared it Weak in Ad-Da’ifah 13/272
Talking about the Adhaan, Shaykh Bin Baz – rahimahullaah – said;
“This is legally recommended as was agreed by a large number of the Ulamaa and a number of Ahaadith has come regarding it in whose Isnaad are some discrepancies. Thus, if a person does it, it is okay as it falls under the category of the Sunan and the superogatory acts. In its chain was found the person of Aasim bn Ubaydillah ban Aasim bn Umar bn al-Khattaab who has some weakness as a narrator, but the Hadīth has other chains that testify for it… Therefore, if a believer practices it due to the Ahaadith that we just alluded to, there is no harm in that…and if he doesn’t do it, there is no problem.”
Fataawa Nurun Ala Darb
Shaykh Muhammad ban Saalih Al-Uthaymin – rahimahullaah – said:
“To recite the Adhaan after the birth of the new born is a sunnah. But for the Iqaamah, the hadith regarding it is weak and it is therefore not a sunnah. But the Adhaan should be the first thing that the new born child ever hears. But if the period of the new born passes then it is a sunna that has just passed and does not need to be done again…”
Fataawa Uthaymin 25/242
The hadith to which Shaykh Muhammad bn Saalih Al-Uthaymin – rahimahullaah – referred to as weak is the Hadith recorded by Ibn Sunni in ‘Amalu Al-Yawmi Wa Al-Layla’ from Al-Husayn bn Aliyy that the Messenger of Allah – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – said:
“Whosoever just had a new born child then he recites the Adhaan into his right ear and the Iqaamah in his left ear, Ummu As-Sibyan will not have a chance to harm him.”
The Hadith is weak or fabricated as Shaykh Al-Albaani held.
Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar – rahimahullaah – said:
“Ummu As-Sibyan is the kind of Jinn that follows (a person so as to misguide him)”
While Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin Al-Albaani considers it inappropriate to recite the Adhaan into the ears of the new born based on the weakness of the Ahaadith in that regard, the verdict of Shaykh Muhammad bn Saalih Al-Uthaymin – rahimahullaah and many others is its recommendation.
Allah knows best.
Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyya – rahimahullaah – mentioned in ‘Tuhfatu Al-Mawdud’ 1/30 the immense benefits of reciting the Adhaan into the ears of the new born.
2. Tahnik
What is meant by the Tahnik is to chew some little date palm in the mouth until it becomes soft and fine, and then to place it into the mouth of the new born.
It was recorded in the Sahihayn from Abu Musa that he said:
“A new son was born for me then I brought it to the Prophet – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – and then he named him Ibrahim and did the tahnik for him with some little date palm.”
An-Nawawi – rahimahullaah – said:
“The Ulamaa have formed a consensus on the fact that to make the tahnik of the new born after its birth is a mustahabb.”
It was mentioned in the Fataawa of ‘Al-Lajnatu Ad-Daa’ima’:
“To make the tahnik for a new born is a sunnah which is established in the actions of the Prophet – salallāhu alayhi wasallam which he did with respect to the children of some of the Sahaaba…”
3. Naming (At-Tasmiya)
It is mentioned in Sahih Muslim from Anas bn Maalik that the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said when his child was born:
“This night, a boy was born for me and I named him after my father Ibraahim.”
And in the Musnad of Ahmad and the Sunan of Abu Dawud, An-Nasa’i and Ibn Maajah from Samura bn Jundub that the Messenger of Allāh – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:
“Every new born is held in ransom by the Aqiqah which is slaughtered on his behalf on the seventh day, his hair is shaven and he is named.”
The Hadith is Sahih as was grades by Al-Albaani
Shaykh Muhammad bn Saalih Al-Uthaymin – rahimahullaah – said:
“The new born is named either on the day of his birth or on the seventh day…naming on the day of birth is established in the Sunnah of the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – when he named his son Ibrahim while an oral command came from him to that effect from him – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – to name on the seventh day.”
Fataawa Shaykh Uthaymin 25/240
4. Al-Khitaan (Circumcision)
It was recorded in the Sahihayn from Abu Hurayrah – radiyallaahu an hu – that the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:
“The fitra are in 5 – or five things are from the fitra – circumcision, cutting the public hairs, cutting the nails, plucking the armpit hairs and the trimming of the moustache.”
Shaykh Muhammad bn Saalih Al-Uthaymin – rahimahullaah – said:
“circumcision is waajib for men and recommended for women and it is preferred that it should be done on the seventh day or after it.”
Fataawa Uthaymin 25/241
It was mentioned among the Fataawa of the ‘Al-Lajnatu Ad-Daa’imah’:
“To circumcise the new born is a sunnah and it is not haraam to do it before the seventh day and it is neither makruh nor haraam to delay it beyond it. It is very open to situations and the interest of the child should be considered.”
Fataawa Al-Lajna 5/131
We have answered in detail in the past, the ruling of circumcision for women. anyone who is interested should look to it.
5. Shaving the hairs.
Imaam At-Tirmidhi recorded that Ali ban Abi Taalib – radiyallahu ‘an hu – said:
“The Messenger if Allāh – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – slaughtered a ram as Aqiqah for Al-Hasan and said: ‘O Faatimah! Shave his hair and make Sadaqah with silver equivalent in weight with that of the hair.” He (Ali) said: so, she weighed it and it weighed a dirham or a part of it.”
Declared Hasan by Al-Albaani.
Shaykh Al-Uthaymin – rahimahullaah – said:
“The hair of the new born is shaved on the seventh day if it is a male but for the female, its hairs should not be shaved. And when the hairs have been shaved, sadaqah should be made with silver equivalent in weight with the weight if the hair as it has come in the Hadīth.”
Fataawa Uthaymin
6.Al-Aqiqah (Slaughtering a ram on behalf of the new born)
Some of the Ulamaa dislike the use of the term ‘Aqiqah’ and prefer using the word ‘Nasikah’ and their evidence is the Hadīth that was recorded by Imaam Ahmad from Amr bn Shu’aib from his father, from his grandfather who said:
“The Messenger of Allāh – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – was asked about Al-Aqiqah. He said: “I do not like the term ‘Al-Uquq’. Whosoever has a new born and is capable of making a Nasikah, let him sacrifice two sound rams on behalf of the boy child and one for the girl child.”
It was declared Sahih in As-Sahihah by Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin Al-Albaani.
The view held by these Ulamaa is not shared by others due to the Hadīth if Samura bn Jundub that we mentioned earlier in which the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:
“Every new born us held in ransom by the Aqiqah which is slaughtered on his behalf on the seventh day, his hair is shaved and he is named.”
They hold that the word ‘Aqiqah is used here by the Rasūl – salallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam.
Shaykh Uthaymin said:
“What is meant by his – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – statement: ‘is held in ransom by his aqiqah’ is that the new born will not be able to make intercession for his parents on the Day if Qiyaamah if his father does not make the Aqiqah on his behalf – this is the interpretation of some of the Ulamaa. Some others said: the Aqiqah is a means of opening for the child in the benefits and interests if his of the Dunya and the Din, and a means for him to have an opened heart. And that if such is not done on his behalf, it may lead him to have personality complexes which may make him be in a state like someone held ransom. This stance is the closest to what is authentic..”
Fataawa Uthaymin 25/207
Shaykh Bin Bazz – rahimahullaah – said:
“There is nothing wrong in a person making the sacrifice for himself as a precaution. And that us because it us a form of drawing close to Allah – subhanahu – and been generous to the new born…”
Fataawah Ibn Baaz 26/266
Conclusion:
May Allāh bless the new born child and us altogether.
Āmīn
Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran.
📚 IslamNode
