Question:
Assalamualaikum ustaz. Is tahnik for babies an obligation? Is it considered sinful if one did not do so?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam. Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Regarding tahnik, it is mentioned in a narration from Saidatina Aisyah. She said:
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- كَانَ يُؤْتَى بِالصِّبْيَانِ فَيُبَرِّكُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيُحَنِّكُهُمْ فَأُتِىَ بِصَبِىٍّ فَبَالَ عَلَيْهِ فَدَعَا بِمَاءٍ فَأَتْبَعَهُ بَوْلَهُ وَلَمْ يَغْسِلْهُ
“Babies were brought to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he blessed them, and after having chewed (something, e. g. dates or any other sweet thing) he rubbed there with their soft palates. A baby was brought to him and he passed water over him (over his garment), so he asked water to be brought and sprinkled it, but he did not wash it.”
Sahih Muslim (688)
Tahnik is chewing something, e. g. dates or any other sweet thing, then rub it on the palate of a baby.
Tahnik is sunnah and this is explained by Imam al-Nawawi, where he said:
“As for the ruling stated in the above hadith, it is sunnah to perform tahnik for newborn babies. It is permissible to ask for blessings from good and pious people. The hadith also states that it is sunnah to bring along children to meet pious people for tabarruk (seeking goodness by virtue of touching or being near pious people).” Refer Syarh Sahih Muslim (14/143)
Furthermore, tahnik is practised by the companions. Asma’ narrated:
فَخَرَجْتُ وَأَنَا مُتِمٌّ فَأَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَنَزَلْتُ بِقُبَاءٍ فَوَلَدْتُهُ بِقُبَاءٍ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ بِهِ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَوَضَعْتُهُ فِي حَجْرِهِ ثُمَّ دَعَا بِتَمْرَةٍ فَمَضَغَهَا ثُمَّ تَفَلَ فِي فِيهِ فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ شَيْءٍ دَخَلَ جَوْفَهُ رِيقُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثُمَّ حَنَّكَهُ بِتَمْرَةٍ ثُمَّ دَعَا لَهُ وَبَرَّكَ عَلَيْهِ وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَوْلُودٍ وُلِدَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ
“That she conceived `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair. She added, "I migrated to Medina while I was at full term of pregnancy and alighted at Quba where I gave birth to him. Then I brought him to the Prophet (ﷺ) and put him in his lap. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked for a date, chewed it, and put some of its juice in the child's mouth. So, the first thing that entered the child's stomach was the saliva of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Then the Prophet rubbed the child's palate with a date and invoked for Allah's Blessings on him, and he was the first child born amongst the Emigrants in the Islamic Land (i.e. Medina).”
Sahih al-Bukhari (3909) and Sahih Muslim (5741)
The authors of Al-Fiqh Al-Manhaji state that it is sunnah to bring a newborn baby to a pious person for tahnik and ask him to supplicate and bless the baby. Refer Al-Fiqh Al-Manhaji (3/62)
As a conclusion, tahnik for babies is sunnah and not an obligation. If one does not do so, it is not a sin. It is best to ask a pious person to perform the tahnik as explained by Imam al-Nawawi. Regarding the method of tahnik for newborn babies, we have explained it in the article Al-Kafi Lil Al-Fatawi series 367.[1]
May Allah SWT give us understandings of His religion. Wallahua’lam.
End Notes:
[1] http://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/1320-al-kafi-367-kaedah-tahnik-anak-yang-baru-lahir