Difficult or easy, happy or sad, hopeful or hopeless... In whatever condition he or she comes to this world, every newborn child deserves a fitting welcome with Allah’s blessing. The Almighty Allah introduces the newborn child to this world after determining if it is a boy or girl, its livelihood, and its time of death (Shura, 42:49-50; Bukhari, Qadar, 1). While parenting is a challenging test (Taghabun, 64:15), it is also viewed as a divine gift from Allah, enriching homes with blessings and abundance (Isra’ 17:31) and infusing joy into the lives of parents. This sacred responsibility is bestowed upon parents to nurture a new life, a labor of love that spans a lifetime. A child needs the care, love, compassion, and support of his parents throughout his/her life. Thus, the parents are aware of their responsibilities for material and spiritual assistance, which starts before the birth of the baby. Birth is just one stage of the child’s life. It is the first step on a ladder s/he will climb throughout his/her life, and the first station on the way to the final destination.
The birth of a baby, heralding the arrival of a new member to the family, not only strengthens feelings of responsibility but also ignites a sense of excitement. While other family members may shoulder some of the new responsibilities according to their age, the real burden rests on the parents’ shoulders. The parents should not be like the mother and father who first pray, “If you give us a good and healthy baby we will certainly be grateful,” only to later when the child comes into the worldattribute Allah’s goodness to a partner. (A’raf, 7:189-191) They should wholeheartedly embrace the child regardless of its gender, and be not like the Jahiliyya people, who would be happy when they had a boy, but be upset when they had a girl (Nahl, 16:58-59; Zukhruf, 43:17). They should not forget how precious children are–the adornments of worldly life– (Kahf, 18:46) and the parents should remember that Allah (swt) tests them through their children (Anfal, 8:28). From day one, parents should provide their children with the deepest compassion and purest love.
When we reflect on the life of our Prophet, we see that his first offering to a guest, who was an innocent baby, was a date. A softened bite from the date, accompanied by prayers, was given to the newborn child, marking a sweet start to life. Although this bite would not suffice to satisfy a suckling baby, shortly thereafter, the newborn would receive nourishment from his mother’s milk, a process lasting for two years (Baqarah, 2:233). Stating that the date was a blessed fruit (Tirmidhi, Zakat, 26), the Messenger of Allah (saw) welcomed the newborn brother of his little helper, Anas (ra), with this tradition, called “tahnik” (Muslim, Fadha’il al-Sahaba, 107; B5824, Bukhari, Libas, 22). Explaining that his mother, Umm Sulaym (ra), sent her baby to the Prophet (saw) without nursing him, Anas said, “When we found the Messenger of Allah (saw), he was busy branding animals for ritual slaughter. When he saw me, he said, ‘I suppose Umm Sulaym gave birth,’ and put down the branding iron. I put the baby in his lap. The Prophet (saw) asked for a Medina date, chewed it until it was soft, and put it in the baby’s mouth. Tasting the date, the baby began licking. At this, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, ‘Look how he loved the date!’ He stroked the baby’s face and gave him the name ‘Abd Allah.” (Muslim, Fadha’il al-Sahaba, 107; Bukhari, Libas, 22)
Welcoming newbornbabies with prayers for prosperity and blessing is our Prophet’s tradition. The Companions (ra) brought their newborn babies to the Prophet (saw) without delay, and the Prophet (saw) chewed a date for them, while at the same time saying prayers for them. What a great blessing it was for a baby whose soul was soothed by prayers pouring from a worthy mouth and to hear a voice beseeching Allah (swt) on his behalf! Abu Musa (ra), eager not to deprive his son of this opportunity, recounts bringing his baby to the Prophet (saw), who along with prayers gave him the name Ibrahim, and put a softened date into his mouth (Bukhari, Adab, 109).
The act of giving a name to a child has long been regarded as a significant ceremony. Since ancient times it has been believed that children will live up to their names. Throughout history, people have been meticulous in selecting names, often participating in ceremonies where the chosen name is whispered into the baby’s ear. As a link in this chain, our Prophet gave importance to this practice of giving a child his or her name. By saying, “On the Day of Resurrection you will be called by your names and by your father’s names, so give yourselves good names,” (Abu Dawud, Adab, 61) the Prophet (saw) reminded mothers and fathers of their responsibilities in this matter.
Introducing the newborn child to the adhan, the call to prayer, is an integral part of the naming ceremony. The Prophet (saw) recited the adhan in the ear of his grandson, Hasan, when he was born, just as it is recited at prayer times (Tirmidhi, Adahi, 16; Ibn Hanbal, VI, 10). With the adhan recited in a low voice in his right ear, and the iqama (also a call to prayer) into his left ear, the baby heard for the first time the three essential principles of Islam. In other words, the adhan speaks to him/her of Allah’s existence and oneness, and of the Prophet’s role as the Messenger of Allah (saw) and also explains that worship is the way to salvation and to attaining happiness in the Hereafter.
Having a beautiful name himself, our Prophet said to parents who wondered what the best time to name a child was, “Every newborn baby is like a security deposit until an aqiqa sacrifice is performed for them on the seventh day after birth. On the same day, the baby’s head is shaven, and a name is given to him.” (Abu Dawud, Dahaya, 20, 21; Nasa’i, ‘Aqiqa, 5) It seems that the Prophet (saw), who named his son on the night he was born (Abu Dawud, Jana’iz, 23-24) didn’t wish this ritual to be put off more than seven days.
After tasting worldly blessings with his mother’s milk; finding an identity by getting a name; learning the divine message by listening to the adhan; paying a debt of gratitude for his soul through sacrifice; and cleaning up by having his hair shaved, there is one more service to be offered for the child if it is a boy: circumcision. A male child’s circumcision is not only a religious duty but also a very important step in terms of health.
Although there was no circumcision ceremony or celebratory banquet during the Prophet’s time, we see that the Companions (ra) started this tradition shortly after his death. For example, when his son was circumcised, ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar (ra) sacrificed a ram and invited guests (Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad, 426). Moreover, Caliph ‘Umar, upon hearing the sound of entertainment accompanied by a tambourine, asked, “What is this?” He was told, “It’s a wedding or a circumcision ceremony.” (‘Abd al-Razzaq, Musannaf, XI, 5) In such celebrations, one needs to pay attention to our Prophet’s warnings regarding wedding feasts, namely, to invite to the table not only the wealthy and notable people, but also those who are poor and needy, and to avoid waste and showiness. Perhaps most importantly, for the child who follows the Prophet Abraham’s sunnah, prayers should be offered for a proper life in accordance with the Prophet’s sunnah.
