Children’s Rights Over Parents Pt2 – Birth And Naming

Main Topic

This lecture focuses on the rights of children in Islam, specifically covering the stages of pregnancy, childbirth, and the Sunnah practices and etiquette required upon the arrival of a newborn.

Key Lessons

• The spiritual upbringing of a child begins in the womb through the parents' engagement in Dhikr, Quranic recitation, and guarding their eyes and ears from evil influences.
• Protecting a woman's modesty (Haya) and ensuring her obligatory prayers (Salah) are fulfilled right up until active labor are essential Islamic duties.
• Sunnah rites for a newborn include giving a proper ghusl, reciting the Azan in the right ear and Iqamah in the left ear, performing Tahneek, shaving the head on the seventh day, giving charity, naming the child appropriately, and performing Aqeeqah.
• Breastfeeding creates a special bond and spiritual nourishment for the infant; maternal or foster feeding is preferred over relying solely on commercial formula when possible.
• There is a vital need for the Ummah to establish community-based birth facilities and midwifery systems that preserve Islamic dignity and Sunnah practices.

Quranic/Hadith References

• Hadith on marrying loving and prolific women to increase the numbers of the Ummah of Nabi (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam).
• Hadith regarding Shaitan poking the newborn child at birth, necessitating the recitation of Mu'awwadhatayn (Surah al-Falaq and Surah an-Nas) and Ayatul Kursi.
• Quranic verse from Surah al-A'raf (Inna Rabbakumullah...) recited for protection.
• Hadith encouraging Tahneek and naming the child on or by the seventh day with righteous names (e.g., Abdullah, Abdur-Rahman, names of Sahaba and Anbiya).
• Hadith mentioning that a child remains pledged until the Aqeeqah is performed on their behalf.

Practical Advice

• Recite prescribed duas prior to marital relations and throughout pregnancy (e.g., Surah Maryam, Rabbana hab lana min azwajina..., etc.).
• Avoid exposing expectant mothers or newborn infants to impermissible entertainment, music, or un-Islamic environments.
• Maintain modesty during hospital deliveries by ensuring satr is covered as much as possible and minimizing unnecessary exposure to non-Mahram staff.
• Perform Aqeeqah on the seventh day (two goats/sheep for a boy, one for a girl); if financially constrained, one animal for a boy is acceptable.
• Respectfully bury human biological remains after birth (such as the placenta/afterbirth) in a deep grave.