A child is a gift from Allah, and hence parents must welcome this wonderful divine gift in a most fitting manner. There are certain rituals associated with child birth to be performed; these are intended to give thanks to the Creator, to share the joy with the family and friends and to reinforce the Islamic creed of Oneness—the axis of Islamic way of life.

The rituals associated with childbirth are the following:

1. As soon as the child is born, adhaan should be called in its right ear in a most gentle tone and voice.

2. A tiny piece of date should be chewed well by the father or a pious person and then fed to the infant.

3. On the seventh day, naming of the child should take place. On the same day its head should be shaved and it’s the equivalent of its hair in gold (i.e. the cost of it) should be given away in charity to the poor.

4. If the parties can afford it, preferably on the same day, a goat or lamb should be sacrificed and the meat should be distributed to the poor, family and friends. If instead of giving away the meat, a feast is organized to which the poor as well as family and friends are invited that would be sufficient as well.

5. Finally, from day one the child arrives into this world, it should be brought up in a proper Islamic environment where proper values and precepts of Islam are consistently practiced.

Source: Islam.ca (Sheikh Ahmad Kutty)