Tahneek Upon Childbirth

Question:

Asalamoalaikum

Dearest respected mufti sahib.

Who is supposed to do the tahnik when a child is born?

Jazakallah khair.

Answer:

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-raḥmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Respected Sister

Tahneek is a Sunnah of our Beloved Prophet Sallalahu Allayhi Wassallam. Tahneek should be performed on the day of the birth of the child.

The first preference to be used for Tahneek is normal dates, then Rutab (fresh dates), then honey and then anything sweet. The method of Tahneek is to chew the date into a paste-like substance and then to apply a small amount of that paste onto the baby’s palate,[1] so that it goes down the infant’s throat easily.

The scholars have written that through this Sunnah act of Tahneek, the veins and muscles of the child are strengthened. The dental palate, the jaws and mouth are made active, thereby making it easy for the child to draw milk from the breast of the mother.

It is recommendable and (Mustahab) that Tahneek be done by a pious and righteous scholar of Islam.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Moosa Radiyallahu Anhu that he said, ‘A son was born at our place, I brought him to the Messenger of Allah who named him Ibrahim, and performed his Tahneek with a date. He then made Dua of Barakah (blessings for him) and handed him to me’.[2]

And Allah Ta‘ala knows best
Mufti Luqman Hansrot
Fatwa Dept.

DISCLAIMER – efiqh.com questions
efiqh.com answers issues pertaining to Shar’iah. Thereafter, these questions and answers are placed for public view on www.efiqh.com for educational purposes. However, many of these answers are unique to a particular scenario and cannot be taken as a basis to establish a ruling in another situation or another environment. efiqh.com bears no responsibility with regards to these questions being used out of their intended context.

• The Shar’iah ruling herein given is based specifically on the question posed and should be read in conjunction with the question.
• Efiqh.com bears no responsibility to any party who may or may not act on this answer and is being hereby exempted from loss or damage howsoever caused.
• This answer may not be used as evidence in any Court of Law without prior written consent of efiqh.com
• Any or all links provided in our emails, answers and articles are restricted to the specific material being cited. Such referencing should not be taken as an endorsement of other contents of that website.