is it Sunnah to Shave a newborn baby's head?
- Thread starter Yahya1819
- Start date
alkathiri
As-Shafaa'i(Brother)
The Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said,
"Every child is in pledge for it's Aqeeqah which is sacrificed for it on its seventh day, and it is named on it, and its head is shaved" (Abu Dawood)
Shaving the baby's head
On the seventh day after the birth the head of the baby should be shaved. So when al-Hasan was born the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) told his daughter, Faatima (RA),
"shave his head and give the weight of his hair in silver to the poor" (Ahmad)
The right side of the head should be shaved first, then the left as mentioned in the hadeeth,
"shave, and he indicated to the right side of his head, and then the left" (Muslim)
It is not permissible to shave a part of the head and leave a part, as this was prohibited by the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) as reported by al-Bukhaaree. The strongest view seems to be that the head of the boy or the girl should be shaved, as is reported that Faatimah weighed the hair of her daughter (Muwatta) but the scholars differ on this, and Allaah knows best.
The shaving should be done after the sacrifice, and our pious predecessors liked to rub some perfume over the baby's head after the shaving.
Then it is prescribed to give the value of the baby's weight of hair in silver in charity, and it is recommended to give this charity on the seventh day also, but it is not necessary to do so, and may be delayed.