Q: After the child is born, what are the sunnats and aadaab that should be performed?
A: We have prepared a detailed article on this topic. You may refer to it below:
1. After the child is born, the child should be cleaned. After cleaning the child, it is mustahab to call out Azaan in the right ear of the child and Iqaamah in the left ear of the child. The Azaan and Iqaamah should be called out softly so that no inconvenience is caused to the newborn child. The Azaan and Iqaamah are called out so that upon entering the world, the first thing which the child hears is the name of Allah Ta‘ala.
عن أبي رافع قال: رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أذن في أذن الحسن بن علي حين ولدته فاطمة بالصلاة. (سنن الترمذي، الرقم: 1514، وقال الترمذي: هذا حيث حسن صحيح)
Hazrat Abu Raafi (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports, “I saw Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) call out the azaan of salaah in the ear of Hazrat Hasan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) when Hazrat Faatimah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) gave birth to him.”
It is reported regarding Hazrat Umar bin Abdil Aziz (rahimahullah) that when a child would be born to him, he would call out the azaan in the right ear of the child, and the iqaamah in the left ear of the child. (Musannaf Abdur Razzaq #7985)
2. It is mustahab that tahneek be done for the child. Tahneek is for a pious person to chew or suck on a khajoor (date), etc. and thereafter place a small piece of the khajoor into the mouth of the child to suck upon it. In this way, the first thing that will enter the stomach of the child will be the good effect of the food of a pious person.
عن أبي موسى رضي الله عنه قال ولد لي غلام فأتيت به النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فسماه إبراهيم فحنكه بتمرة ودعا له بالبركة (صحيح البخاري، الرقم: 5467)
Hazrat Abu Musa (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports, “When my son was born, I brought him to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) named him Ibraaheem, carried out tahneek for him with a date, and made dua for barakah (blessings) for him.”
3. It is mustahab for the parents to name the child on the seventh day after childbirth. Naming the child before the seventh day is also permissible and is also established from the Ahaadith.
عن عائشة قالت: عق رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن حسن وحسين يوم السابع وسماهما (صحيح ابن حبان، الرقم: 5311)
Hazrat Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) carried out the aqeeqah for Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Husain (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) on the seventh day (after birth) and named them (on this day).
عن أنس بن مالك، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ولد لي الليلة غلام، فسميته باسم أبي إبراهيم (صحيح مسلم، الرقم: 2315)
Hazrat Anas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said (on the occasion of the birth of his son, Ibraaheem (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)), “A child was born to me last night, and I have named him after my forefather, Ibraaheem.”
عن أبي موسى رضي الله عنه قال ولد لي غلام فأتيت به النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فسماه إبراهيم فحنكه بتمرة ودعا له بالبركة (صحيح البخاري، الرقم: 5467)
Hazrat Abu Musa (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports, “When my son was born, I brought him to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) named him Ibraaheem, carried out tahneek for him with a date, and made dua for barakah (blessings) for him.”
4. One should keep the names of pious people, such as the Ambiyaa (‘alaihimus salaam) and the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum), for the child. It is hoped that the good name will be the means for the child emulating the good qualities of the pious. Furthermore, keeping a good name for the child will be a means of goodness and honour for the child among people.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) disapproved of bad names, and if he met any person who had a name whose meaning was not good, then he would change the name to a good name.
عن أبي الدرداء، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إنكم تدعون يوم القيامة باسمائكم وأسماء آبائكم، فاحسنوا أسماءكم (سنن أبي داود، الرقم: 4948)
Hazrat Abu Dardaa (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “You will be called on the Day of Qiyaamah by your names and the names of your fathers, therefore keep good names for yourselves (i.e. for your children).”
عن عائشة رضي الله عنها أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يغير الاسم القبيح. (سنن الترمذي، الرقم: 2839)
Hazrat Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would change bad names (i.e. names that had a bad meaning).
عن ابن عمر: أن ابنة لعمر كانت يقال لها عاصية فسماها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم جميلة (صحيح مسلم، الرقم: 2139)
Hazrat ibnu Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) reports that Hazrat Umar’s (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) daughter was called Aasiyah (which means disobedient). Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then named her Jameelah.”
5. It is mustahab for the parents to carry out the aqeeqah for the child on the seventh day after childbirth. For example, the child is born on a Tuesday, the seventh day will be the following Monday.
For a baby boy, two goats or sheep will be slaughtered in the aqeeqah and for a baby girl, one goat or sheep will be slaughtered in the aqeeqah. The aqeeqah meat may be consumed by oneself, one's family and one's friends, etc.
If the Aqeeqah was carried out before the seventh day, it will be permissible. If for some reason Aqeeqah was not done on the 7th day, then it should be done on the 14th, 21st, 28th or any subsequent seventh day after the seventh day.
The animal slaughtered for Aqeeqah should conform to all the conditions required for the validity of a qurbaani animal.
عن ابن عباس قال: عق رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن الحسن والحسين رضي الله عنهما بكبشين كبشين (سنن النسائي، الرقم: 4219)
Hazrat ibnu Abbaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) carried out the aqeeqah for Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Husain (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) by slaughtering two sheep (for each of them).”
عن أم كرز، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: عن الغلام شاتان، وعن الجارية شاة لا يضركم ذكرانا كن أم إناثا (سنن النسائي، الرقم: 4218)
Hazrat Ummu Kurz (radhiyallahu ‘anha) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “On behalf of a boy are two goats (that should be slaughtered for aqeeqah), and on behalf of a girl is one goat (that should be slaughtered for aqeeqah), and it does not matter whether the goats are male or female.”
6. The child’s head should be shaved on the seventh day. It is preferable that the hair of the child be weighed, and silver equal to the weight of the hair be given in charity to the poor and needy. If one wishes, he may give the value of the silver in another currency to the poor. After shaving the child's head, if one wishes, one may apply saffron to the child's head.
عن علي بن أبي طالب قال: عق رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن الحسن بشاة، وقال: يا فاطمة، احلقي رأسه، وتصدقي بزنة شعره فضة، قال: فوزنته فكان وزنه درهما أو بعض درهم (سنن الترمذي ، الرقم: 1519)
Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) carried out the aqeeqah on behalf of Hazrat Hasan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) by slaughtering one goat (and Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) slaughtered the other goat). He then said, “O Faatimah (radhiyallahu ‘anha)! Shave his head, and give silver to the weight of his hair in charity.” Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) further says, “I weighed it, and its weight was equal to a dirham or a portion of a dirham.”
7. If the child is a boy, then circumcision should be done for the child. There is no fixed time limit when the circumcision should be done.
عن أبي هريرة، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: الفطرة خمس – أو خمس من الفطرة – الختان، والاستحداد، وتقليم الأظفار، ونتف الإبط، وقص الشارب (صحيح مسلم ، الرقم: 257)
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Five things are from the natural disposition (and nature) of man; circumcision, shaving the private area, clipping the nails, plucking the hair under the armpits, and trimming the moustache.”
8. After childbirth, the placenta should be buried. Similarly, after shaving the child’s hair on the seventh day, the hair should be buried.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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