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It is generally found that people
celebrate on the birth of a boy and show dissatisfaction when a girl is born.
Islam disapproves of this kind of behaviour. Children are great gift from
Almighty Allah and we should be thankful and rejoice irrespective of the gender
of the new-born child. The birth of a daughter is a blessing and the Prophet of
Islam (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said that they would be a shield for the
parents from Hell.
It is stated in the Quran Shareef, Surah an-Nahl,
Verse 58: When news is brought
to one of them of the birth of a female
child his face darkens, and he is filled
with inward grief. This was the belief of the Kufaar prior to Islam.
The woman that gives birth to a girl as her first child is indeed
fortunate as the first born of the Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) was a girl. On the birth of a child, gifts or alms should be
distributed among the poor. Nafils should be read instead of having parties, playing music and
distributing sweetmeats, which is totally unnecessary. When a child is born, he
or she should be given Ghusal as soon as possible and the Azaan must be read in
the right ear and the Takbeer recited in the left ear.
The after-birth (placenta, etc.) of the child should be buried. It is
also Sunnat that some pious person chews something sweet like dates and place
in the baby's palate (Thaneek).
It is established from the Ahaadith that the Sahabas took new-borns to
the Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) for Thaneek. It is
preferable to have a Meelad Shareef or Fateha on the birth of a baby. All other
unnecessary customs, which has no basis in Islam, should be completely stopped.
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