by Asma Bint Shameem
đ·1.Aqeeqah
This is to sacrifice two sheep for the male child and one for the female.
Doing âAqeeqah for the newborn is a Sunnah Muâakkadah, according to the stronger scholarly opinion.
That means itâs something ârecommendedâ and not something obligatory.
đ The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
âWith the boy there should be âaqeeqah, so shed blood on his behalf and remove the harm (i.e., circumcision).â (al-Bukhaari, no. 5049)
đ·2.Shaving the head of the baby.
đ The Prophet ï·ș said:
âThe boy is in pledge for his âAqeeqah which should be slaughtered on his behalf on the seventh day, and he should be named and his head shaved.â (at-Tirmidhi-
saheeh by al-Albaani)
Some ulama say that itâs not allowed to shave the head of the baby girl because itâs generally prohibited to shave a femaleâs head, but it can be shaved if thereâs a need for it. But other scholars like Shaikh al-Albaani
say it should be shaved, even if thereâs no need.
đ Shaikh Al-Albaani was asked whether the hair of the newborn girl should be shaved?
He said: â[Yes], like the boyâ
đ But Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:
âIt is not Sunnah to shave a girlâs head on the seventh day as is the case for boys.
With regard to shaving it for a reason, as referred to in the question, if that is true, the scholars say that it is makrooh to shave the head of a girl, but it may be said that if it is proven that this is something that will make the hair grow and become thick, then there is nothing wrong with it, because it is well known that what is makrooh is no longer regarded as makrooh if there is a reason for it.â
(Majmooâat Asâilat Tahumm Al-Usrat Al-Muslimah, P. 147)
But generally speaking, the majority of the ulama said that the baby girl is included in the recommendation to shave the head.
Imam Sanâaani said:
âHis sallahu alayhi wa salam statement in the Hadeeth of Samurah [Shave his head] is evidence of the legislation of shaving the head of the newborn on the seventh day. What is apparent is it is general for shaving the hair of the young boy and girlâ.
đ·3.Giving sadaqah approximately equal to the weight of the hair in gold or silver
đ Ali radhi Allaahu anhu said:
âThe Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam offered a sheep as âaqeeqah for al-Hasan, and said: âO Faatimah, shave his head and give the weight of his hair in silver in charity.ââ (at-Tirmidhi -hasan by al-Albaani)
đ·4.Circumcision for a baby boy
It is part of the fitrah and Sunnah to circumcise the baby boy and even Ibraheem Alaiyhis-Salaam was circumcised.
đ The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
âFive things are part of the fitrah (natural disposition of man): circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, cutting the moustache, cutting the nails and plucking the armpit hair.â
(al-Bukhaari, Muslim)
đ·5.Naming the newborn:
Itâs recommended to name the child on the seventh day when he should also have his Aqeeqah done and his head shaved.
đ The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said;
âEvery child is in pledge for his âaqeeqah, which should be slaughtered on his behalf on the seventh day, when he should be named and his head shaved.â
(al-Tirmidhi, 1522; Abu Dawood, 3838; saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwaâ al-Ghaleel, 1165)
But if the child is named earlier or later than that, then thatâs also permissible.
đ Someone asked Shaikh Abdul-Muhsin al-âAbbad:
âThe one who slaughters the animal for the Aqeeqah before the seventh day, does it count for him?â
The Shaikh said:
â What is apparent is that it counts for him because slaughtering on the seventh day is not obligatory, but only recommendedâ. (Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood no. 334)
đș A child should be given a good name from the names of Muslims
- the best of names are those that include âAbdâ and added to one of the Names of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taâaala
For example:
The best names are:
Abdullaah or Abdur Rahmaan for baby boys.
đ The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
âThe most beloved of names to Allaah are âAbd-Allaah and âAbd al-Rahmaan.â
[Saheeh Muslim 1398)]
Or we can use the word âAbdâ with other Names of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taâaala for a boy.
Other good names include the names of Prophets, the Sahaabah and other righteous people.
Besides these, ANY good Islaamic names that have good meanings may be given.
đ·6.Tahneek
The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam would perform Tahneek for the newborn baby.
đ Abu Moosa radhi Allaahu anhu said:
âI had a baby boy, and I brought him to the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam.
He named him Ibraaheem, did Tahneek with some dates and prayed for Allaah to bless him, then he gave him back to me.â (al-Bukhaari, 5150; Muslim, 2145)
đ And Aaishah radhi Allaahu anhaa narrates that âThe people used to bring their newborn children to the Prophet and he would bless them and perform the tahneek.â (Muslim 560)
But thereâs a difference of opinion among the scholars about Tahneek, or the practice of giving something sweet to the newborn upon birth.
Some of the scholars are of the opinion that itâs a Sunnah.
But others said that was only something specific for the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam because his saliva was blessed.
đ·7. Giving Adhaan in the newborn babyâs ear:
Thereâs a difference of opinion among the ulama about calling adhaan in the newbornâs ear.
Some ulama say itâs Sunnah to do so (recommended and not obligatory), depending upon whether they consider the hadeeth that reports it, authentic or not;
But other ulama like Shaikh al-Albaani considered it a weak hadeeth and so he did not recommend giving adhaan in the ear of the newborn.
If you donât give adhaan in the newbornâs ear, or if you do, in either case itâs always good to make general duaa and ask Allaah to guide the baby and make him righteous.
And Allaah knows best
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