For a boy
2 sheep
Two sheep of the same age and quality.
The first week
The Sunnah of a newborn
The adhan and the iqama, tahnik with a date, a good name by day seven, shaving the head and giving its weight in silver, the aqiqah, and circumcision for boys. What each one is, when it is due, and where it comes from.
The first week, step by step
These are the first things Muslim parents do for a newborn. Most of them are recommended (Sunnah). Circumcision for boys is wajib (required). Do what you can, in the order you can, because nobody expects you to manage it all on day one.
- BirthGlad tidings
Share the news. Congratulate one another and make dua for the family.
- First hoursAdhan and tahnik
The adhan in the right ear, the iqama in the left. Then a chewed date on the palate.
- Birth to day 7Choose a name
A good name. It can be given on the day of birth or any day up to the seventh.
- Day 7Hair and aqiqah
Shave the head, give the hair’s weight in silver as charity, and offer the aqiqah.
- Early onCircumcision (boys)
Wajib for boys. Best done in the first days, by a qualified doctor.
The words for these moments, including congratulating the parents and asking for barakah for the baby, are in the marriage and children duas.
| Practice | What you do | Ruling | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glad tidings | Tell people the good news and congratulate the parents. | Recommended | Qur’an 11:71 |
| Adhan and iqama | Adhan in the right ear, iqama in the left. | Recommended | Abu Dawud 5105, Tirmidhi 1514 |
| Tahnik | Chew a soft date and rub a little on the roof of the baby’s mouth. Make dua for blessing for the baby. | Recommended | Bukhari 5467, Muslim 2145 |
| Naming | Choose a good name, from the day of birth up to day 7. | Parents’ duty to choose well | Muslim 2315, Abu Dawud 2838 |
| Shaving the head | Shave the hair on day 7. Weigh it and give that weight in silver (or its value in money) to the poor. | Recommended | Abu Dawud 2838, Tirmidhi 1519 |
| Aqiqah | Sacrifice for the baby on day 7. Two sheep for a boy, one for a girl. | Confirmed Sunnah | Abu Dawud 2838, Tirmidhi 1513 |
| Circumcision (boys) | Done by a qualified doctor, best in the first days. | Wajib (required) for boys | Bukhari 5889, Muslim 257 |
Read the narrations (each checked against the source)
And his wife was standing, and she smiled. Then We gave her good tidings of Isaac and after Isaac, Jacob.
I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) uttering the call to prayer (Adhan) in the ear of al-Hasan ibn Ali when Fatimah gave birth to him.
Tirmidhi 1514 records it too and grades it hasan sahih. A few scholars weaken the chain, which is why some describe the practice as recommended rather than established.
A son was born to me and I took him to the Prophet (ﷺ) who named him Ibrahim, did Tahnik for him with a date, invoked Allah to bless him and returned him to me.
A child was born to me this night and I named him after the name of my father Ibrahim.
A boy is in pledge for his Aqiqah. Sacrifice is made for him on the seventh day, his head is shaved and he is given a name.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had the Aqiqah for al-Hasan with one sheep, and said: O Fatimah! Shave his head and give the weight of his hair in silver as charity.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered them that for a boy, two sheep were sufficient, and for a girl one sheep.
Five are the acts of fitra: circumcision, removing the pubes, clipping the moustache, cutting the nails, plucking the hair under the armpits.
Aqiqah, explained
Aqiqah is an animal sacrificed in gratitude to Allah for the blessing of a child. It is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah mu’akkadah). The Prophet ﷺ said every child is “held in pledge” for it until it is done.
For a girl
1 sheep
One sheep.
When to do it
- Day 7The Sunnah time
Count the day of birth as day 1. A baby born on Saturday has the aqiqah the following Friday.
- Day 14If day 7 is missed
Do it on the fourteenth day.
- Day 21If that is missed too
Do it on the twenty-first day.
- After thatAny day
It can still be done on any later day.
The animal
The conditions are the same as for the Eid sacrifice (udhiyah). Sheep are best, because the reports mention sheep.
| Animal | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Sheep | 6 months |
| Goat | 1 year |
| Cow | 2 years |
| Camel | 5 years |
It must be free of clear defects: obviously blind or one-eyed, very thin, clearly lame or clearly sick.
The meat
- Eat some of it yourselves.
- Give some as gifts.
- Give some as charity.
- You can invite family, friends and neighbours to eat together.
Cooking it all is recommended, even the part you give away. Handing it over uncooked is also fine.
Good to know about aqiqah
- One animal per child. A single sheep, cow or camel can’t be shared between two babies, because the aqiqah stands in for one child.
- Who offers it. Usually the father. If he has died or can’t, the mother can. A grandfather can too, and the Prophet ﷺ offered it for his grandsons al-Hasan and al-Husayn.
- If it was never done. An adult who never had an aqiqah can offer it for themselves.
Circumcision
For boys
Circumcision is wajib for boys. It is one of the acts of the fitrah the Prophet ﷺ listed. The best time is the first few days after birth, so it is over long before your child can remember it. Have it done by a qualified doctor.
Doctors also note fewer urinary infections in childhood, and a lower risk of some sexually transmitted infections.