Fatwa n° 796
Category: Fatwas about Drinks and Foods – Al-‘Aqîqa (Sacrifice for the newborn)
The ruling concerning specifying the third
day of the child birth to invite women
Question:
Is it permissible to specify the third day of the child birth for the invitation of women? What is the ruling concerning the customs that are practiced by women nowadays on the seventh day [of the child birth] such as washing the newborn baby with water and putting wax and flowers in that water as a good omen? May Allah reward you.
Answer:
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection:
The permissibility of inviting women to Al-‘Aqîqa feast specifically on the third day is not known in Ash-Sharî‘a (Islamic law). Likewise, what they (women) do on the seventh day including washing the baby with water where they put wax and flowers and suchlike, has nothing to do with the Islamic law; but rather, this might belong to the habits of the Christians and those who resemble them. The Prophet صلّى الله عليه وسلّم said: “He who does an act which we have not commanded, will have it rejected (by Allah)” (1). Such specification is counted among innovations, and every innovation is misguidance and every misguidance is in the Hell fire.
The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ. Our last prayer is all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our Prophet, his Family, his Companions and Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.
Algiers on Rabî‘ Al-Awwal the 9th, 1428 H.
Corresponding to March the 28th, 2007 G.
(1) Reported by Muslim (1718), from the hadith of ‘Â’isha رضي الله عنها.