Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Allah Ta‘ala had sent Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) with a universal religion – the religion of Islam. This religion provides man with complete and perfect guidance in all spheres of his life. There is no dimension of human living which has been left unattended and for which man would need to search for a solution out of Islam.
Every other religion sent down by Allah Ta‘ala was confined to a certain time period, and upon the expiry of that time period, it was no longer permissible for people to continue practicing on that religion. However, as far as the religion of Islam is concerned, it is a universal religion which is for all places, all people and all times until the day of Qiyaamah. Hence, it is this deen alone that will stand the tests and challenges of all times until the Day of Qiyaamah.
The comprehensive code of conduct which Islam presents is unparalleled, to such an extent that from birth to death there are guidelines to follow whereby one will be able to be a means of goodness for oneself, one’s family and a means of mercy and goodness for others.
Below we will explain the Sunnats and Aadaab pertaining to the upbringing of children, commencing from the time the child is born.
Sunnats and Aadaab of a Newborn Child
1. After the child is born, the child should be cleaned. After cleaning the child, it is mustahab that Azaan be called out in the right ear of the child and Iqaamah be called out in the left ear of the child. The Azaan and Iqaamah should be called out softly so as not to cause any harm to the newborn child. Azaan and Iqaamah are called out so that on coming into the world, the first thing that the child hears will be 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 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 with the name of 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 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.
If the Aqeeqah was carried out before the seventh day, it will be permissible. If for some reason Aqeeqah was not made on the 7th day, then it should be done on the 14th, 21st, 28th or every subsequent seventh day after the seventh day.
The animal slaughtered for Aqeeqah has to fulfil the criteria that are set out for Qurbaani.
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 harm you (for the validity of the aqeeqah) 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, one may give the value of the silver in another currency to the poor.
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 in charity the weight of his hair in silver.” 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. There is no fixed time 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 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.
