The
tahneek is another noble practice from Islam with which the newborn is
greeted upon entering into the first moments of this life, before any
other type of food enters his stomach
(A)
Its Description and What is Used
The tahneek here means softening a date and then rubbing the palate of
the new-born with it just after the birth or soon after that. This is
done by putting a piece of the date upon a finger and then entering the
finger into the baby's mouth and rubbing it right and left.
This is how it is done, with regard to what is used - then it is done
with a (dried) date. Ibn Hajr said: "If one is not able to find a
(dried) date, then a fresh date should be used, and if that is not
available, then anything sweet."1
It is not essential to chew the date before the tahneek, rather it may
be softened in any way - since chewing the date before rubbing it in
the baby's mouth as occurs in the ahaadeeth was something particular to
the Messenger (peace be upon him) i.e. due to the blessing placed in
his (peace be upon him) saliva. Therefore, it is sufficient to soften
the date without chewing it, and then to rub it upon the child's palate.
This action is to be done by the child's father or mother, or one of
the people of knowledge and excellence2
whose supplication, it is hoped would be accepted. So he should perform
tahneek and supplicate for blessings for the child - as was the
practice of the Companions along with the Messenger (peace be upon him)
all of this is allowed."3
(B)
Its Wisdom and its being a Prescribed Practice
The tahneek is a recommended Sunnah, an-Nawawee said:
"Scholars are agreed upon the recommendation of performing tahneek upon
the baby after its birth".4
The Messenger performed tahneek upon a number of the children of his
Companions, as is reported by 'Aa-ishah who said: "New-born children
used to be brought to Allah's Messenger and he would supplicate for
blessings for them, and rub a chewed date upon their palate".5
And al-Bukhaaree and Muslim report from Aboo Moosaa who said: "A boy
was born to me and so I came to the Prophet. (peace be upon him) . He
called him Ibraaheem and rubbed his palate with a chewed date and
supplicated for blessing for him and handed him to me".6
And al-Bukaaree and Muslim report a hadeeth of Anas concerning his
maternal brother - in which Aboo Talhah said to him: "Carry him to the
Prophet" and he sent some dates along with him. So the Prophet (peace
be upon him) took him and said: "Is there anything with him". He said:
"Yes, some dates." So Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) took and
chewed them, then took them from his mouth and then placed them in the
baby's mouth, rubbing his palate with them and he named him 'Abdullaah."7
And in another narration: "So the baby began to lick it, so the Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: "The Ansaar have a love of dates"8
(C)
The Wisdom of Tahneek and its Benefits
There are many benefits of the tahneek, both medical and non-medical.
Some of these were perceived by the scholars and many were not and
there follows some of these points of wisdom:
(1) In performing the tahneek, one is following the Sunnah of the
beloved Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) , and a revival of his
Sunnah which he used to perform with his Companions - and this is more
than sufficient wisdom in itself.
(2) It is, furthermore, a Prophetic miracle and protects the child from
a danger which has only recently become apparent to the medical
profession. This is that new-born babies may die if their blood-sugar
level is too low, and after the birth the baby's nutrition from its
mother is cut off, so his body turns to whatever he has stored up
whilst he was in his mother's womb - until his mother is able to
breast-feed him. It is at this time that the child's organs are most
active, so whatever stores it has may quickly be exhausted causing the
blood-sugar level to drop and resulting in danger. We, therefore, find
that rubbing the child's palate with a crushed date - which contains a
large percentage of sugar - provides him with sugar which can pass into
his system quickly and will be a protection for him from that
deficiency should it occur. So how far above and free from any
deficiency is Allah, the Most Wise!9
(3) The tahneek also exercises the muscles of the mouth and helps with
the circulation of blood in the mouth - which is brought
about by rubbing the date upon the palate, and by the movement of the
jaws when he chews and licks - this also helps the baby to be able to
suck and take the mother's milk."10
(4) Furthermore, as
is well-known, the date has a number of different benefits for health -
so performing tahneek as done by the Messenger-will produce a number of
such benefits helping the body and health of the child.
Footnote
1. 'Fathul-Baaree' (9/588)
2. [E.T. i.e. Scholars of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah as
understood and practiced by the Companions and those who followed their
way after them - not those claimants to (hidden) knowledge today who
are ignorant of this, whose only currency is fables and superstition.]
3. [ refer to point No. 5 of the section 'Mistakes made in welcoming
the new-born child'.]
4. an-Nawawee's Sharh of Saheeh Muslim, 4/122.
5. Reported by Muslim and Aboo Daawood as has preceded
6. al-Bukhaaree [E.T. 7/272/376] and Muslim [E.T. 3/1173/5343]
7. Reported by al-Bukhaaree [E.T. 7/273/No.379] and Muslim [E.T.
3/1172/N0.5341]
8. Reported by Muslim [E.T. 3/1172/No. 5340] and Aboo Daawood [E.T.
3/1377/No.4933]
9. From the words of Dr. Faarooq Musaahil (adapted slightly) in
'al-Ummah' magazine (No. 50, p. 55)
10. Refer to 'Tarbiyyatul-Awlaad fil-lslaam' of 'Abdullaah Naasih
'Alwaan (Vol. i, P. 71) Information
From Manners of Welcoming the New Born Child in Islam
By Yoosuf ibn ‘Abdullaah Al-‘Areefee
Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank
