Class 1
FIQH OF BIRTH
Welcoming a New Soul into the World
WHY THE SUNNAH MATTERS
Before we discuss a single ruling, ask yourself one honest question: Why should any of this matter to me? After all, many of the events we will discuss throughout this course are things that every human being experiences.
People get married.
People have children.
People celebrate.
People move homes.
People attend funerals.
A Muslim does not merely ask, "What should I do?". He asks, "How did Allah and His Messenger ﷺ teach me to do it?"
This distinction changes everything. Many people go through life following customs, family traditions, cultural practices, or personal preferences without ever asking whether those practices are pleasing to Allah. Islam is not just a religion of the mosque — it is a complete way of life that walks beside you at every turning point.
Unfortunately, there is a misconception that quietly circulates in many Muslim communities — and it goes something like this: 'The Quran is obligatory; the Sunnah is optional.' This is a dangerous misunderstanding that must be addressed directly before we proceed any further.
Allah says: "Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever hopes in Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah often." (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:21)
Notice that Allah did not simply command us to worship Him. He gave us a model showing us how to worship Him. That model is Muhammad ﷺ.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Beware! I have been given the Quran and something similar to it along with it. Soon there will be a man, satisfied and reclining on his couch, who will say: 'Stick to this Quran — what you find halal in it, make it halal, and what you find haram in it, make it haram.' But indeed, what the Messenger of Allah has made haram is like what Allah has made haram.” (Sunan Abu Dawud & Ibn Majah, graded as Sahih by Al-Albani)
Subhan'Allah — the Prophet ﷺ predicted this attitude fourteen centuries ago. He described the man who rejects the Sunnah: comfortable, well-fed, leaning back on his sofa. This is not a description of an enemy of Islam. This is a description of a complacent Muslim — and comfort without knowledge is one of the greatest spiritual dangers we face.
Allah says, “And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you from, refrain from it.” (Surah Al-Hashr, 59:7)
The scholars of Tafsir all affirm it is general in application, covering all commands and prohibitions of the Prophet ﷺ. To follow the Messenger ﷺ is not supplementary to the Quran — it is commanded by the Quran itself.
The Sunnah as Completeness (Kamaal)
There is a beautiful concept in Islamic thought: the Sunnah does not constrain life — it completes it. Every Sunnah the Prophet ﷺ taught us is a gift that makes the moments of our life richer, more meaningful, more connected to Allah.
Salaf said, The Sunnah to the Quran is like an explanation to a brief text — you cannot properly understand the text without the explanation. Whoever claims he can navigate the Quran without the Sunnah is like a man who claims he can build a house with blueprints but no tools.”
Think about what this means practically. The Quran tells us to pray — but it is the Sunnah that shows us how. The Quran tells us to purify — but it is the Sunnah that teaches the method. The Quran tells us life and death belong to Allah — but it is the Sunnah that walks us through every sacred rite of passage with grace and precision.
Follow the Sunnah and Reject the Bidah
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever introduces into this matter of ours something that does not belong to it, it will be rejected.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
Imam Sufyan Al-Thawri said, “Bid'ah is more beloved to Iblis than sin — because sin is repented from, but bid'ah is not.”
When we commit a sin, our fitrah recognises it. Regret follows. Tawbah follows. But when a bid'ah is dressed as worship, the person feels righteous while drifting from the Sunnah — no regret, no tawbah. That is what makes it more dangerous. We are not here to shame anyone. We are here to say: you and your children deserve the real pearl. The Sunnah is that pearl.
The Companion Abdullah ibn Mas'ud R.A. said: "Follow and do not innovate, for you have been sufficed."
What a profound statement. "You have been sufficed." Meaning: Allah has already completed the religion.
The Prophet ﷺ already conveyed the guidance. We do not need to invent a better way. We do not need to improve the religion. We do not need to search for alternatives. Allah says: "This day I have perfected for you your religion, completed My favor upon you, and approved for you Islam as your religion." (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:3)
A perfected religion requires no additions. A completed religion requires no improvements. Our success lies not in creating new paths, but in following the path already shown to us.
So let us all make the intention now: I am learning this Fiqh to act upon it — to correct my practice, teach my family, and break cycles of bid'ah in my household. With that intention made, Bismillah… let us begin.
BIRTH
Life is full of defining moments. There are moments that change the direction of our lives forever. The day we graduate. The day we get married. The day we bury a loved one. And among the greatest of all these moments is the day a child enters the world.
Few experiences transform a person as deeply as becoming a parent. A child has a way of changing priorities, altering routines, and awakening emotions that perhaps never existed before. A person who once worried only about himself suddenly finds himself concerned about someone else's future. His hopes become attached to another human being. His heart begins to carry a new responsibility.
Yet while the world often views childbirth as merely a biological event, Islam teaches us to see something much greater. The arrival of a child is not simply the expansion of a family. It is the arrival of an amanah—a trust from Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock." (Bukhari & Muslim)
One of the remarkable aspects of Islam is that guidance begins before the child even exists. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught married couples a supplication to recite before intimacy:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ اللَّهُمَّ جَنِّبْنَا الشَّيْطَانَ وَجَنِّبِ الشَّيْطَانَ مَا رَزَقْتَنَا
Allahumma jannibnash-shaytana wa jannibish-shaytana ma razaqtana.
"In the name of Allah. O Allah, keep Shaytan away from us and keep Shaytan away from what You provide for us."
The Prophet ﷺ then said that if a child is decreed from that union, Shaytan will not harm him. (Bukhari & Muslim)
Reflect on the beauty of this teaching. Before the child is conceived, parents are already asking Allah to protect him. The believer understands that every child enters a world in which Shaytan seeks to mislead and corrupt. Therefore, he begins seeking Allah's protection from the very beginning.
SUNNAHS AFTER BIRTH
1. The Adhaan in the Right Ear
“I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite the Adhaan of prayer in the ear of Al-Hasan ibn Ali when Fatimah gave birth to him.” (Sunan Abu Dawud & Al-Tirmidhi, Graded Hasan Sahih)
Ruling: Sunnah — the Adhaan is recited into the right ear immediately after birth.
The Iqaamah in the left ear: Da'if (weak). Ibn Al-Qayyim and Al-Albani both graded this narration weak. The established Sunnah is the Adhaan in the right ear only.
Who recites it: the father, or any righteous Muslim man. Use the standard wording of the prayer Adhaan.
Why? Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “The first thing to strike the hearing of the newborn is the glorification of Allah and the Shahaadah — the entry point into Islam. It also repels Shaytaan, who flees at the sound of the Adhaan.” (Tuhfat Al-Mawdood, p. 24)
2. Tahneek: Sweetening the Palate
Hadeeths:
“Abdullah ibn Abi Talhah was brought to the Prophet ﷺ when he was born. The Prophet performed Tahneek upon him with a date.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
“A son was born to me so I brought him to the Prophet ﷺ. He named him Ibrahim, performed Tahneek with a date, supplicated for blessings upon him, and returned him to me.” (Sahih Bukhari)
Method: soften a date, rub the juice gently onto the newborn's palate.
If no dates: honey or another natural sweet may be used (Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani).
Who performs it: seek a righteous scholar or person. The Sahabah brought their newborns to the Prophet ﷺ specifically for this. The Du'a offered at this moment is the heart of the act.
Medical note: Neonatal research (Journal of Tropical Pediatrics, 2011) confirmed date extract prevents neonatal hypoglycemia.
3. Naming the Child
The Prophet ﷺ said, “The most beloved names to Allah are Abdullah and Abdur-Rahman.” (Sahih Muslim)
Timing: Day 7 is the preferred Sunnah (Sunan Abu Dawud No. 2838, Sahih), coinciding with the Aqeeqah. Naming on Day 1 is also valid (Sahih Muslim No. 2315). Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim reconciled both in Tuhfat Al-Mawdood (p. 88).
Best names: Abdullah, Abdur-Rahman, then names that imply Slave of Allah like Abdul Razzaq, Abdul Maik etc, then names of Prophets (Ibrahim, Musa, Yusuf), then names of Sahabah, names with beautiful meanings.
Prohibited: Names combining 'Abd' with other than Allah's Names (e.g. 'Abd Al-Nabi). Imam Al-Nawawi: 'It is haram — servitude belongs to Allah alone.'
Names with evil meanings are disliked. The Prophet ﷺ changed names — e.g. 'Asiyah (disobedient) to Jamilah (beautiful). (Sahih Muslim)
You will be called by your name on the Day of Resurrection — choose well. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Hasan)
4. THE AQEEQAH: A SACRIFICE OF GRATITUDE
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Every child is held in pledge by its Aqeeqah.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa'I, Ibn Majah; Graded Sahih by Al-Albani)
The word murtahan (in pledge) means the child is held back from full intercession for its parents until the Aqeeqah is performed — as though the child is a guest not yet fully welcomed into the community of Islam. (Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, referenced in Tuhfat Al-Mawdood, p. 57)
Ruling, Conditions and Distribution
Ruling: Sunnah Mu'akkadah.
Responsibility: the father. If he cannot afford it, he is not sinful. An adult may perform his own Aqeeqah if his parents never did (Al-Nawawi, Al-Majmu', Vol. 8, p. 428).
Animals: Two sheep for a boy, one for a girl. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Sahih)
Timing: Day 7 is Sunnah. If missed: Day 14, then Day 21. (Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Sunan Al-Kubra | Al-Nawawi | Imam Ahmad)
The meat: Difference of opinion, some scholars compare it to Ud-hiyah (Qurbani), recommending it be divided into three parts—one for the family, one for gifts, and one for charity. Other scholars suggest there are no strict rules, allowing families to eat, gift, or donate the meat as they see fit.
Shaving the Head and Giving Charity in Silver
Shave the head completely on Day 7. Weigh the hair. Give its equivalent weight in silver as Sadaqah. (Al-Bayhaqi, Shu'ab Al-Iman No. 8625 | Confirmed by Al-Nawawi)
Typically 1–5 grams of hair. A modest but spiritually charged act — the child's first charitable mark on the world.
The shaving removes the hair born with — a clean, fresh entry into the world as a Muslim.
5. CIRCUMCISION (KHITAAN): A MARK OF THE FITRAH
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Five things are from the Fitrah: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, trimming the nails, removing the underarm hair, and trimming the moustache.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
Ruling: There is a differene of opinion amongst scholars, stronger view is that it is obligatory for men as it effects the Taharah and hence the prayer.
When? In Islam, it is preferred to circumcise boys during childhood as it is considered kinder to the child. While there is no definitive Sunnah on the timing, some scholars suggest it is obligatory before puberty, with the responsibility falling on the guardian.
Medical circumcision in a hospital is entirely valid and fulfils the Sunnah completely.
COMMON BID'AHS RELATED TO BIRTH
Every abandoned Sunnah creates a vacuum that culture fills. These practices are widespread and often well-intentioned — but they have no basis in the Quran or authentic Sunnah. We address them with love, not judgment.
The Ta'weez — Amulets on Newborns
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Verily, incantations (of the prohibited type), amulets, and love charms are Shirk.” (Sunan Abu Dawud & Musnad Ahmad; graded Sahih by Al-Albani)
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah states: “Tying amulets while believing they have independent protective power is Major Shirk. The majority of Sahabah — Ibn Mas’ud, Ibn Abbas, Hudhayfah, Uqbah ibn ‘Amir — prohibited this even when someone claimed reliance was on Allah alone, because it trains the heart toward other than Allah.” (Majmu’ Al-Fatawa, Vol. 19, p. 64)
The Sunnah Protection: The Prophet ﷺ recited for Al-Hasan and Al-Husain:
أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لاَمَّةٍ
“Au‘idhukhuma bi kalimat-illahi al-tammah min kulli shaytanin wa hammah wa min kulli ‘aynin lammah”
I seek refuge for you both in the perfect words of Allah, from every devil, vermin, and evil eye.
Sahih Al-Bukhari
No thread. No paper. A parent’s lips making du‘a — that is the greatest protection a child can receive
The Psychological Power of Living by the Sunnah
Modern psychology confirms what the Sunnah established centuries ago. Human beings need ritual. We need meaningful practices tied to the turning points of life. Psychologists call these 'transitional rituals' — moments that mark change, create memory, and ground us in identity.
When a child is born in many cultures today, parents are overwhelmed and uncertain of what to do. There are no universally agreed-upon sacred practices. Contrast this with the Muslim parent who knows: the first sound in my child's ear is the Adhaan. The first thing that enters my child's mouth is the sweetness of a date. My child enters this world already connected to Tawheed.
Research in developmental psychology consistently shows that children raised with meaningful rituals around major life events demonstrate higher emotional resilience, stronger identity, and greater family cohesion. The Sunnah provided this complete architecture fourteen centuries before the research existed.
COMMON BID'AHS OF BIRTH — AVOID THE FOLLOWING
Tying amulets (ta'weez), strings, or black threads on the newborn — from impermissible bid'ah to Shirk.
Using the Quran as a physical charm (placing it on the baby, under the pillow) rather than for recitation.
Using some method to land on an alphabet from the Quran to name the child with that alphabet.
Number-based recitations over the newborn with formulas not from the Sunnah (e.g. a Surah read 7 or 41 times as a ritual formula).
Passing the baby through a ring, doorframe, or opening for blessing — cultural superstition with no Islamic basis.
Mixing un-Islamic cultural rituals with the Aqeeqah ceremony (ancestral offerings, puja elements, etc.).
First-feed rituals using specific foods believed to bring fortune or intelligence, beyond the Sunnah of Tahneek.
Reimagine
A child born into a home that practises these Sunnahs does not simply enter the world — they enter it as a Muslim who is welcomed by Tawheed through the Adhaan, sweetened by Tahneek, carrying a name that is a good, ransomed by the Aqeeqah, and marked by the Fitrah. That is a complete, Sunnah welcome.
In the upcoming classes of this course we will InShaAllah study
Puberty & Adulthood
Fiqh of Entertainment & Celebrations
Sunnahs of Choosing a Partner, Nikah & Walimah
Fiqh of Discord, Resolutions & Divorce
Death, Funeral & Burial
May Allah make us of those who hear the Sunnah and follow it — not out of routine, but out of love. May He bless every child in our communities with a welcome worthy of their Fitrah. And may He make us the generation that restores these practices — pearl by pearl, Sunnah by Sunnah.
TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Memorise the Duas.
Remember the Rulings.
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
I. Invite atleast 10 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 4 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
II. Talk to 3 people (friends or family) about any three topics from the course - (5 Marks)
III. Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and Maghfirah of the Muslims who passed away. Pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 1 Mark
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