The piety of parents is a fundamental condition for raising good offspring. The Shari’ah provides certain instructions that parents are advised to follow.
Supplication upon receiving a new wife
Du’aa or supplication is a means of having needs and wishes fulfilled. The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wasallam instructed us to recite this Du’aa upon receiving one’s wife for the first time: ‘O Allah, I ask you of her goodness, and the goodness of the nature with which you have created her. and I seek your protection against her evil, and the evil of the nature with which you have created her.’
Supplication prior to intercourse
Shaytaan is a clear enemy to man against which Allah warns us saying, ‘Verily, Shaytaan is to man a plain enemy.’ (Israa Aayat53)
One of the evil’s satanic schemes is to participate with man during intercourse if the latter does not guard himself by invoking the name of Allah. The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wasallam said, ‘When one of you approaches his wife, let him say, ‘I begin with the name of Allah. O Allah keep us away from Shaytaan, and keep Shaytaan away from what You provide us. If Allah has foreordained that a child be born to them, Shaytaan will never harm him or her.’
Adhaan and Iqaamat
Allah Messenger sallallaahu alayhi wasallam said, ‘No human infant is born but is goaded by Shaytaan and screams as a result except Maryam and her son Isa (Jesus).’
Abu Rafi radhiallaahu anhu reported, ‘I saw Allah’s Messenger sallallaahu alayhi wasallam calling the Adhaan in the ear of Hasan ibn Ali radhiallaahu anhu, after Faatima radhiallaahu anha delivered him.’
In his comment on this report, ibn Qayyim [may Allah grant him mercy] said, ‘The purpose of saying the Adhaan, Allah knows best, is that the words of the Adhaan will be the first thing the infant hears after coming into this world.’
Tahneek
Tahneek is rubbing the infant’s palate with a chewed piece of date. Abu Musa [radhiallaahu anhu] reported, ‘I brought my newborb baby to the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wasallam who named him Ibraahim and applied Tahneek to him, and supplicated Allah to bless him.’
This practice was customary among the Companions to bring their newborn babies to the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wasallam to apply Tahneek to them.
The wisdom of this is probably for the infant to receive Barakah (spiritual blessing). Thus, the one who is applying it should be known to be pious so that his Du’aa would be accepted, with the Will of Allah.
Some have given medical reasons for it saying that Tahneek prepares the muscles used for sucking to help the infant suck milk from his mother’s breast, Allah knows best.
