7 Sunnah act to follow for a newborn baby

The birth of a child is a moment of rejoicing for all the family. Many wonder what to do when a baby is born as per Islam. There are 7 Sunnah acts to follow for a newborn baby.

1. Be thankful

Every child is a blessing of Allah Almighty. As per Islam, the first thing to do when a baby is born is to thank Allah by whatever way you want. You could;

• Simply say ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ.
• Perform a Sajda for thanking Allah ﷻ.
• Offer two Nafil of Salah.

2. Reciting Adhan and Iqamah

The Hanafi school of thought believes that reciting Adhan in the ears of the child is a good act however it is neither obligatory nor sunnah.

Shafi, Maliki, and Hanbali believe it to be Sunnah for a newborn baby (on basis of hadith found in al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, al-Bayhaqi).

• Sunnah way of Adhan and Iqama for newborn baby

3. Tahnik

Anas bin Malik رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ narrated: I took `Abdullah bin Abu Talha رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to perform Tahnik for him. – Sahih al-Bukhari 1502

Tahnik was a Sunnah among the Muslims that they used to take a newborn baby to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ who would chew a piece of date and put a part of its juice in the child’s mouth.

4. Giving a name to a child

It is one of the Rights of Newly Born that he/she must be given a good name that reflect Muslim characteristics e.g. names that belongs to Prophets, Sahabah, and pious Muslims.

5. Circumcision

All newborn Muslim boys undergo circumcision when they are quite young as it is a Sunnah act of Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ. 

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ circumcised himself with the help of an adze when he was 8 years old. – Sahih Muslim 2370

6. Shaving off the head

It is also a Sunnah act to shave off the head of the newborn baby within 7 days of birth.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: The boy is mortgaged by his ‘Aqiqah; slaughtering should be done for him on the seventh day, he should be given a name, and his head should be shaved. – Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1522

7. Aqiqa

Aqiqa is another sunnah act after the childbirth which is heavily emphasized in different Hadith. Aqiqa is;

• Slaughtering two sheep on the birth of a boy.
• Slaughtering one sheep on the birth of a girl.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Slaughter two sheep equal (in age) for a boy and one for a girl at their birth. – Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1513