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Fatwa CenterNew born child
Question
My question is about the sunan for a new born child. "Abu Burdah reported from Abu Musa, who said: `I had a new-born baby; I took him to the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, who called him Ibrahim. The Prophet chewed a date then he took it and rubbed the inside of the baby's mouth with it.' I've heard that it's not necessary to do it for a new born child because the salivate of the Prophet (SAWS) was a baraka not ours. Can you please confirm or not that? For the iqama in the left ear, it is known that it's da'if; please confirm or not.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
The recommended acts related to the newborn baby are as follows: First, one proclaims the Azan (prayer call) in the baby's ear as narrated by At-Thirmithi and Abu Dawood 
that Prophet Muhammad proclaimed the Azan in the ear of Al Hassan right after Fatima, may Allaah be pleased with her, gave birth to him. At-Thirmithi said that this Hadith is a good and sound one and that this is applied among the Muslims. On the other hand, there is nothing in the Hadith that specifies the right ear from the left one. But it is a Sunnah to opt for the right side from everything as narrated by Al-Bukhari from the Hadith of ‘Aa’isha 
that the Prophet Muhammad performed to start the right when putting on his shoes, cleaning himself and walking. So, the Azan in the right ear is more likable and some scholars believe so. Ibn Al Qayem in his book “The Masterpiece of the beloved person about the rules related to the new born baby” said that the Azan is proclaimed in the baby's right ear while the Iqama is proclaimed in his left one. Ibn Al Qayem stated two Hadith about this matter but neither of them reaches the degree of a sound Hadith. Second, as a Sunnah, one can also chew little date and then put it in the baby's mouth for Abu Musa's Hadith, which narrated in Al-Bukhari and Muslim's books of Hadith. Several scholars believe that this is likable and it is not peculiar to the Prophet . It is narrated that Al-Imam Ahmad did so to some of his children. The baby should be given a nice name. It is a Sunnah to slaughter one sheep for the baby girl and two sheep for the baby boy (Aqiqa). The baby's head should be clean shaved on his/her seventh day and the weight of the hair in silver should be given out as alms to poor people. The baby boy should be circumcised. We advise you to read Ibn Al Qayem's book mentioned earlier as it is a good source in this matter.
Allah knows best.
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