WiseOne
22-05-2003, 15:21
The birth of a child is indeed a blessing from Allah. We bring you this special feature, in an attempt to answer some of the questions prospective parents usually ask...
The Sex of a Child is Purely the Will of Allah
Allah Subhaanuhu wa Ta’ala says in the Holy Qur’aan: "He Bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills" [Ash-Shura: 49].
The sex of a baby is a result of the Divine Will – parents should not unnecessarily become upset if they were expecting a son, and a daughter is born to them, or if they have three sons, and were expecting a daughter, but the wife gives birth to a fourth son. Indeed a child, regardless of its sex, is a blessing from Allah Subhaanuhu wa Ta’ala, for it is both the male and the female who facilitate the increasing of the ummah, and both men and women, have their respective roles to play in the Islamic social and family structures. Rather, the sex of the child should be accepted as being the will of Allah.
The birth of a daughter should not be viewed with disdain or disappointment, for Prophet (pbuh) said: "He who is involved in bringing up daughters, and accords benevolent treatment towards them, they will be protection for him against Hell-Fire" .
He also said, "[b]Whoever maintains two girls till they attain maturity, he and I will come on the Resurrection Day like this." [And he joined his fingers] [Muslim].
Determining the Sex of the Baby Before it is Born
The ‘ulama have ruled that there is nothing wrong with finding out the sex of the baby in the mother’s womb, before its birth, through the use of ultrasound and other medical equipment, provided the procedure does not involve great expense.
It could be said that it is a waste of money because there is no need to know the sex of the baby except for the purposes of merely feeling happy because one knows whether it is a boy or a girl. If finding out could not be achieved without spending a lot of money then it is a waste of money and in this case it will not be permitted.
Of course, such a procedure is only permissible if it does not entail the possibility of any harm been caused to the foetus.
The Giving of Adhaan
It is sunnah to recite the adhaan into the right ear of the newborn baby, so that the first thing he hears in this world will be the words of Tawheed [the Oneness of Allah] which will, in sha Allah, have a great and blessed effect on the child.
The practice of reciting the iqaamah into the left ear, is not established from the Sunnah of Prophet (pbuh) .
The Presence of the Husband During Birth
The presence of the husband at the birth of the child is not disallowed in terms of Shari'ah. It is commonly thought that this is not permissible, and the husband not looking at the awrah of his wife is cited as a reason for this. Some fuqaha have mentioned that it is better not to look at the private parts of one’s spouse. However they did not condemn it as haraam to do so (al-Hidaayah, vol. 2 p. 461). Thereupon, the basis for this view is found in certain ahadeeth which are either unauthentic or completely baseless (Nasb ar-Raayah, vol. 4 p.248).
The essential permissibility of this act therefore stands unaffected.
Tahneek
It is Sunnah to place something sweet, preferably a date, into the mouth of the newborn. This should be done by a pious person. In the time of Prophet (pbuh) newborn children used to be brought to him. He used to chew a date and place it their mouths, and make du'aa for them.
Shaving the Head
It is Sunnah to shave the head of the baby after the aqeeqah, on the seventh day from birth, for Aishah [RA] reported that Prophet (pbuh) made aqeeqah for Hasan and Husayn on the seventh day and he commanded that their hair be shaven [al-Bayhaqi].
However, it is permissible to shave the head before aqeeqah, especially if aqeeqah is delayed for some reason. Thereafter one should give charity according to the gold or silver equivalent of the weight of the hair. This does not have to be done by actually weighing the hair; if it is too difficult to do that, it is sufficient to estimate the weight and give paper currency equivalent to the price of that amount of gold or silver.
Aishah [RA] reported that in the period of Jaahiliyyah, before the advent of Islam, a piece of cotton with sheep’s blood was placed on the child’s head. Prophet (pbuh) ordered them to replace it with ‘khalooq,’ which is a perfume made of saffron [as-Sunan al-Kubra]. Therefore the baby’s head maybe anointed with saffron after shaving.
Circumcision
Circumcision is part of the Sunan al-Fitrah [practices related to the pure and natural inclinations of man]. It is obligatory for boys because it is connected to matters of purity which are essential conditions for prayer. It was reported from Abu Hurayrah [RA]: "Five things are related to the fitrah: circumcision, removing the pubic hairs, plucking the armpit hairs,cutting the nails and trimming the moustache."
[b]Naming The Child
Anas bin Malik [RA] said that Prophet (pbuh) said: "A boy was born to me this night and I have named him with the name of my father Ibraaheem." Aishah [RA] also said that Prophet (pbuh) did ‘aqeeqah for Hasan and Husayn on the seventh day and gave them their names. A child must be given a good name, chosen for its meaning or significance, not because of the way it sounds.
Aqeeqah
Aishah [RA] said that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did aqeeqah for Hasan and Husayn on the seventh day, and gave them their names [Ibn Hibbaan].
Aqeeqah is the slaughtering of a sheep or a goat upon the birth of a child. Although, the normal practice is to slaughter two animals for a boy and 1 for a girl, it is permissible to slaughter only one for a boy. This is established by the fact that, when Hasan and Husayn were born, Prophet (pbuh) slaughtered one each for them.
It is preferable to make aqeeqah on the seventh day after the birth of the child, but it is permissible to delay it if one is not able to do it on the seventh day.
It is also permissible for a person to do his/her own aqeeqah during adulthood, if it wasn't done for him/her at birth.
The question may arise as to the reasons for aqeeqah. In this regard, the Prophet said that the child is held in mortgage to the sacrifice, so that in making the sacrifice, it frees the child from something which is connected to the child, something similar to a debt. But only Allah Subhaanuhu wa Ta’ala Knows what that something is.
Imam ibn al-Qayyim [RA] said, that among the benefits of aqeeqah are the fact that is a sacrifice by means of which the child is brought close to Allah, soon after he comes into this world. It is a ransom for the newborn; his aqeeqah ransoms him so that he can intercede for his parents, it is a sacrifice by which the newborn is ransomed just as Allah ransomed Isma’eel (pbuh) with the ram.
Another benefit of the aqeeqah could be that the feast associated with it leads to the gathering of relatives, thereby enhancing family ties.
It is important to remember that Prophet (pbuh) stated that the sacrifice is primarily on behalf of the child, although some individuals misconstrue it to be primarily for the family. The child benefits from the sacrifice, just as a parent prays on behalf of their child, for the child's benefit.
Aqeeqah can also be viewed as an act of gratitude to Allah, i.e. the parents are sacrificing part of their wealth in order to thank Allah for blessing them with a child.
The normal practice of distributing the meat, is to give a third to the poor and needy, a third to neighbours and friends and a third is kept by the family.
But it is ultimately up to the parents to decide how it is distributed. However, some of the meat should be given in charity, so that the blessings for this act are given to the child.
Source : http://www.riseforislam.com
The Sex of a Child is Purely the Will of Allah
Allah Subhaanuhu wa Ta’ala says in the Holy Qur’aan: "He Bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills" [Ash-Shura: 49].
The sex of a baby is a result of the Divine Will – parents should not unnecessarily become upset if they were expecting a son, and a daughter is born to them, or if they have three sons, and were expecting a daughter, but the wife gives birth to a fourth son. Indeed a child, regardless of its sex, is a blessing from Allah Subhaanuhu wa Ta’ala, for it is both the male and the female who facilitate the increasing of the ummah, and both men and women, have their respective roles to play in the Islamic social and family structures. Rather, the sex of the child should be accepted as being the will of Allah.
The birth of a daughter should not be viewed with disdain or disappointment, for Prophet (pbuh) said: "He who is involved in bringing up daughters, and accords benevolent treatment towards them, they will be protection for him against Hell-Fire" .
He also said, "[b]Whoever maintains two girls till they attain maturity, he and I will come on the Resurrection Day like this." [And he joined his fingers] [Muslim].
Determining the Sex of the Baby Before it is Born
The ‘ulama have ruled that there is nothing wrong with finding out the sex of the baby in the mother’s womb, before its birth, through the use of ultrasound and other medical equipment, provided the procedure does not involve great expense.
It could be said that it is a waste of money because there is no need to know the sex of the baby except for the purposes of merely feeling happy because one knows whether it is a boy or a girl. If finding out could not be achieved without spending a lot of money then it is a waste of money and in this case it will not be permitted.
Of course, such a procedure is only permissible if it does not entail the possibility of any harm been caused to the foetus.
The Giving of Adhaan
It is sunnah to recite the adhaan into the right ear of the newborn baby, so that the first thing he hears in this world will be the words of Tawheed [the Oneness of Allah] which will, in sha Allah, have a great and blessed effect on the child.
The practice of reciting the iqaamah into the left ear, is not established from the Sunnah of Prophet (pbuh) .
The Presence of the Husband During Birth
The presence of the husband at the birth of the child is not disallowed in terms of Shari'ah. It is commonly thought that this is not permissible, and the husband not looking at the awrah of his wife is cited as a reason for this. Some fuqaha have mentioned that it is better not to look at the private parts of one’s spouse. However they did not condemn it as haraam to do so (al-Hidaayah, vol. 2 p. 461). Thereupon, the basis for this view is found in certain ahadeeth which are either unauthentic or completely baseless (Nasb ar-Raayah, vol. 4 p.248).
The essential permissibility of this act therefore stands unaffected.
Tahneek
It is Sunnah to place something sweet, preferably a date, into the mouth of the newborn. This should be done by a pious person. In the time of Prophet (pbuh) newborn children used to be brought to him. He used to chew a date and place it their mouths, and make du'aa for them.
Shaving the Head
It is Sunnah to shave the head of the baby after the aqeeqah, on the seventh day from birth, for Aishah [RA] reported that Prophet (pbuh) made aqeeqah for Hasan and Husayn on the seventh day and he commanded that their hair be shaven [al-Bayhaqi].
However, it is permissible to shave the head before aqeeqah, especially if aqeeqah is delayed for some reason. Thereafter one should give charity according to the gold or silver equivalent of the weight of the hair. This does not have to be done by actually weighing the hair; if it is too difficult to do that, it is sufficient to estimate the weight and give paper currency equivalent to the price of that amount of gold or silver.
Aishah [RA] reported that in the period of Jaahiliyyah, before the advent of Islam, a piece of cotton with sheep’s blood was placed on the child’s head. Prophet (pbuh) ordered them to replace it with ‘khalooq,’ which is a perfume made of saffron [as-Sunan al-Kubra]. Therefore the baby’s head maybe anointed with saffron after shaving.
Circumcision
Circumcision is part of the Sunan al-Fitrah [practices related to the pure and natural inclinations of man]. It is obligatory for boys because it is connected to matters of purity which are essential conditions for prayer. It was reported from Abu Hurayrah [RA]: "Five things are related to the fitrah: circumcision, removing the pubic hairs, plucking the armpit hairs,cutting the nails and trimming the moustache."
[b]Naming The Child
Anas bin Malik [RA] said that Prophet (pbuh) said: "A boy was born to me this night and I have named him with the name of my father Ibraaheem." Aishah [RA] also said that Prophet (pbuh) did ‘aqeeqah for Hasan and Husayn on the seventh day and gave them their names. A child must be given a good name, chosen for its meaning or significance, not because of the way it sounds.
Aqeeqah
Aishah [RA] said that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did aqeeqah for Hasan and Husayn on the seventh day, and gave them their names [Ibn Hibbaan].
Aqeeqah is the slaughtering of a sheep or a goat upon the birth of a child. Although, the normal practice is to slaughter two animals for a boy and 1 for a girl, it is permissible to slaughter only one for a boy. This is established by the fact that, when Hasan and Husayn were born, Prophet (pbuh) slaughtered one each for them.
It is preferable to make aqeeqah on the seventh day after the birth of the child, but it is permissible to delay it if one is not able to do it on the seventh day.
It is also permissible for a person to do his/her own aqeeqah during adulthood, if it wasn't done for him/her at birth.
The question may arise as to the reasons for aqeeqah. In this regard, the Prophet said that the child is held in mortgage to the sacrifice, so that in making the sacrifice, it frees the child from something which is connected to the child, something similar to a debt. But only Allah Subhaanuhu wa Ta’ala Knows what that something is.
Imam ibn al-Qayyim [RA] said, that among the benefits of aqeeqah are the fact that is a sacrifice by means of which the child is brought close to Allah, soon after he comes into this world. It is a ransom for the newborn; his aqeeqah ransoms him so that he can intercede for his parents, it is a sacrifice by which the newborn is ransomed just as Allah ransomed Isma’eel (pbuh) with the ram.
Another benefit of the aqeeqah could be that the feast associated with it leads to the gathering of relatives, thereby enhancing family ties.
It is important to remember that Prophet (pbuh) stated that the sacrifice is primarily on behalf of the child, although some individuals misconstrue it to be primarily for the family. The child benefits from the sacrifice, just as a parent prays on behalf of their child, for the child's benefit.
Aqeeqah can also be viewed as an act of gratitude to Allah, i.e. the parents are sacrificing part of their wealth in order to thank Allah for blessing them with a child.
The normal practice of distributing the meat, is to give a third to the poor and needy, a third to neighbours and friends and a third is kept by the family.
But it is ultimately up to the parents to decide how it is distributed. However, some of the meat should be given in charity, so that the blessings for this act are given to the child.
Source : http://www.riseforislam.com