~RuQaYaH~

Bump....anyone know anything re this?

Salam all, Am due to have a baby boy very very soon and just had some questions regarding the religious requirements for male circumcision (have found it a bit difficult to find this info online): 1. Does the circumcision need to be performed at a particular time (ie. is it obligatory that it be performed within a specific time) or is there any recommended time in which it should be performed? 2. Does the circumcision need to be performed by a Muslim or can anyone perform it? 3. There are a few different methods of circumcision (eg: plastibell method, surgical, laser etc) – is there any particular religiously stipulated method or is any method ok? 4. Do we need to recite any particular dua or verse or anything like that before, during or after it is performed? 5. Any other Islamic requirements or anything else relevant with respect to circumcision that I should be aware of? Separately, I read somewhere that if you have a baby boy you are supposed to shave his head on the seventh day after he is born – is this a requirement or just a recommendation? Can anyone shed more light please? Finally, are there any other obligatory birth rituals I should be aware of? If you could please post the fatwas with your answers that would be amazing. Thanks so much!

Thanks so much all!!! Still deciding and searching, will need to settle on one very soon!

lol don't be, I actually really like the sound of the English version Jacob but just wouldn't feel right using the name......and yes, I suppose that is my question (though ideally Arab names with some Islamic significance but potentially even just Eastern names that sound close to English counterparts provided they have a good meaning. Yeah that's true, although interesting that in Hebrew the name means 'God has remembered'....coincidence?

So sorry to hear this, she's in my duas. Also just my 2 cents - I think that now is not the time to be insulting her or reprimanding her for attempting suicide, she needs love and support and professional help now more than ever. Please get her some professional help asap and let her know how much you love her and will be there for her. Severe mental health issues can often lead to suicidal ideation/suicide but they don't necessarily mean the person lacks faith, as much as many believe otherwise.......our minds can get really sick just like our bodies can. All the best to you and your family inshallah!

Thank you all so much for your suggestions....was already aware of most of the suggested names but there's been a couple of new ones. I am really liking the name Keyan, will need to take it to hubby to see what he thinks - meanwhile, does anyone know any more about this name? Is it of Arabic origin or only Persian origin? I did find this link which says that it's an indirect Quranic name: http://quranicnames.com/keyan/ ........however, it's the only thing I can find claiming it's Arabic/from the Qur'an, everything else suggests it's a Persian name. Interestingly, it's also apparently a Gaelic name meaning God is gracious which is lovely. And yes, I understand that there's no Islamic requirement that our childrens' names be of Arabic origin or be in the Qur'an, it's just a personal preference. Also and separately, does anyone know what the name Zakariya actually means? Obviously it's the name of a Prophet and from my research it means 'God has remembered' in Hebrew but is there a separate Arabic meaning of the name (I can't find one)? Or is there only the Hebrew meaning given Prophet Zakariya was around the time of Nabi Isa (عليه السلام)? Thanks all and feel free to keep the suggestions coming!!!

Salam all, Am currently almost 8 months pregnant with baby #2 and we still don't have a name picked out for him. Trouble is that my husband really wants a name that is 'Western sounding' but also Islamic......I'm ok with this as long it's not too Westernised/the name isn't fundamentally altered. So for example, I wouldn't be ok with calling my son Jacob even though it is the Western equivalent of Yaqub, because they sound very different and Jacob just sounds really Anglo to me, which I want to avoid. I might be ok with something like 'Adam' as the Islamic and Western versions are quite similar, though they're pronounced differently. The only name that we both *kind of* agree on is Zakariya, but I'm not fully happy with this name. Ideally, if it is a name where there is no difference at all between the two versions/how they're pronounced that would be amazing for me. Anyway, I was hoping you wonderful people could suggest some Western sounding Islamic names that fit the above description or even suggest some not-necessarily-Islamic-per-se Eastern names that are English sounding (ie. even if it's not necessarily an Islamic/Arabic name, as long it has a good meaning and doesn't sound too White but that would fit well into the West, if that makes sense lol...). Have already gone through all the Prophets names but maybe there are some names we're not aware of. Baby #1 is Sofia if that helps. Thank you, and if you come up with the winning suggestion, you will have our eternal duas!

Thanks guys!!! Alhamdulilah she's such a blessing

Salam all! Great thread - am overcome with nostalgia right now as Shiachat was a big part of my life for a long time! I think life has just gotten in the way - have been busy with work and family. I'm now married with a baby girl (who I just gave birth to less than a month ago!) and been working full time for quite a few years now (although I'm currently on maternity leave). I'm still *kind of* lurking around the forums - I still visit the forum very occasionally although it tends to be brief and every 4 or 5 months or so and I rarely contribute. In terms of religion and my views etc, I'd say they've changed and matured a fair bit since I was on the forums (I was only like 16 when I first joined the forums so I've changed a fair bit as a person in the last 12 years!). I still look back on my time on this forum very fondly and enjoyed engaging with many of the SC regulars and learnt a lot from many people here. I really hope some more old timers post in this thread to let us know how they're going and where they're at with life! Eltemase dua

^Salam sis, Sorry for the late reply - alhamdulilah I had a healthy baby girl not long after this thread. I gave birth to her on 31 December 2016 and she has kept me pretty busy ever since! We've named her Sofia and her middle name is Zaynab, We also made sure to do the aqiqah - thanks everyone for your advice on this! Below are a couple of pics, please keep her and me in your duas Baby Sofia - Labayka ya Hussain! -

^^Thank you both. Would you guys happen to have the sources for these positions? Thanks!

Though you seem to have used the terms interchangably, my understanding of the terms fatigue and laziness, and this may or may not be accurate, is that they are two very different things. I tend to think that fatigue is a physical state (ie. someone physically doesn't have the energy to do something, and this could be for a variety of reasons eg: low iron, low vitamin D, no sleep etc) whereas laziness is more of a mental state (ie. a person has the physical energy to do something but not the mental motivation). But yeah, in terms of how laziness develops and then how do we overcome this, this is a great question.

Thank you all for your responses and well wishes. Thanks so much for this link Ali Hussein and for your link Hameedah - very helpful. I have a couple of follow up questions arising from these links if anyone is able to shed some light. First, in the al-islam link it talks about feeding a newborn for the first time and states: The recommendation of other things like feeding the baby with rain water, warm water, dates and honey before anything else have also been mentioned in some traditions. Therefore, if possible, it is better to combine and mix honey, dates and some rain water or water from the Euphrates and then given to the baby.8 ..............................I'm just wondering as a matter of practicality whether this is safe to do? Everything I've read talks about only feeding a newborn milk. I understand that it would probably be a very small amount but even so I'm concerned. I will check with the doctor in any case but wondering if anyone here has done this? Also the info on the al-islam link and the duas.org link seem to contradict eachother in some aspects. With respect to the aqeeqah, the al-islam link states: F) It is reprehensible for the parents and those supported by the father, not to eat from the offering, in particular the mother.13 .......whereas the duas.org link states: After the sacrifice, the greater part of the meat should be distributed among the poor and needy. It may also be served to the guests, but it is disapproved for the parents of the baby and their dependents to eat it. .........does anyone know which is correct? The al-islam link has a reference for it's statement whereas the duas.org link does not but in any case I do not have access to the source book to be able to check. I am hoping the duas.org link is the correct position because as a matter of practicality, I'm not sure how I would be able to get a sheep sacrificed here in Australia but I imagine it's fairly easy for this to be arranged to be done overseas. Separately, with respect to reciting the adhan/iqamah in the ear of the newborn, the al-islam link states: B) It is stated in some narrations that the time of reciting the Adhan and Iqamah in the ears of the newborn is after hearing it cry, and, in some other narrations it says that it is recommended to be done before the umbilical cord is cut. C) This Islamic tradition indicates that the first sounds a baby hears play an important role in the nature of the child, and which also has many effects on his upbringing and future. This indicates that it should be done pretty much immediately, as babies usually cry immediately and the cord is cut very shortly after birth. However, the duas.org link states: After the birth of a baby, it is recommended that the adhān Should be recited in its right ear and the iqāma in its left ear. This act should be performed after the child is washed and wrapped in a cloth, or later, within a few days. Again, does anyone know which is correct? I'm inclined to think that the al-islam link is the correct position on this one but I'm not basing this on anything other than what seems to make sense to me. If anyone can shed light on the above that would be great. Thanks!

Salam all, I'm currently pregnant with my first child and she's due in just over a week, although it could really be any day now. I understand that upon the birth of a child it's recommended to recite the adhan in their right ear and iqamah in their left ear - is there a specific way in which this is meant to be done? Is it true that this should be done before the cord is cut? Also, are there any other rituals or duas or anything that are recommended to be conducted/recited upon the birth of a newborn? And are there any surahs or duas or anything that can be recited to help with a safe and easy labour/delivery? Any information in this regard would be very much appreciated. Thanks!