Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 29
Chapter 2: Pre-Birth and Infancy 29 Come to Prayer! C ome to prosperity ! Prayer is starting, P rayer is starting; Allah is the Greatest ! Allah is the Greatest ! There is none worthy of worship except Allah. ” Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih IV (rh) explained the reason why this has been commanded in his Friday Sermon of December 19, 1986. He says that there is a deep philosophy hidden in this commandment of Allah Almighty. It is to remind the parents that there should not be even a single moment in the child ’ s life that is without spiritual training and that it is the parents who are accountable for its guidance right from the moment of birth. Huzoor (rh) explained that while the child does not understand the Adhan , nor is expected to answer it, by reciting the verses in the child ’ s ear , Allah is directing the attention of the parents that they have to start the religious training of their child from the very first day ( Friday Sermon , December 19, 1986 ). Circumcision, Aqiqah and Shaving the Head of the Newborn Circumcision, Aqiqah and shaving the newborn ’ s head are Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (saw). Circumcision in Islam is performed on males only, while Aqiqah and shaving of the head are prescribed for both genders. Circumcision for boys is important not only in following the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (saw), but also for its health benefits. Although there is no mention of it in the Qur ’ an, it was commonly done among the early Muslims during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). Muslims consider it a matter of hygiene and cleanliness. It is also considered to be a tradition of the children of Abraham, or previous prophets. Circumcision is mentioned in the Ahadith as one of the signs of Fitrah , or the natural inclination of humans, along with the clipping of nails, removal of hair in the armpits and genitals, and trimming of the moustache.