Index: Conception, Middle Pregnancy, Labor and Delivery, and Early Infancy

Conception

Before intercourse, recite the du'a (prayer) to protect any offspring from Shaitan (the devil).

Middle Pregnancy  Back to index

Muslim women are not allowed to divorce during pregnancy. It is believed that the couple should have peace and be thankful during the pregnancy, and then see if perhaps the birth of the baby will change their minds about separating.

Labor and Delivery  Back to index

Follow tradition and let the Shahadah be the first words whispered into your baby's ears. In this act of faith, crucial to the practice of Islam, the believer testifies that there is no deity but Allah, and that Muhammad is his messenger.

It is customary for the family to slaughter an animal when the baby is born and feed friends and the poor with its meat as an expression of thankfulness to God.

 Early Infancy  Back to index

Seven days after the infant's birth, hold an aqiqah ceremony, in which the child's name is given in the presence of relatives and friends. The baby's head is shaved, and the shorn hair is balanced on a scale with silver or gold that is given to the poor.