What Are the Rulings Concerning Labor and Nifas, and What Sunnahs Are Prescribed for the Newborn Regarding Tahnik and Naming?

Question: While a woman is in labour, are there any specific Islamic practices, authentic duʿās, Qur’anic verses, or Prophetic teachings that are recommended; how should she perform her prayers during labour, and is she permitted to combine the prayers; when exactly should she stop praying—when her water breaks, when she delivers the baby, or when she first sees the blood of nifās—and if she experiences bleeding after delivery, how can she distinguish nifās from other types of blood? After the baby is born, what other Sunnahs should be performed for the newborn; what is the Sunnah regarding taḥnīk—is it better for the father to perform it, may the mother perform it, and may any type of date be used; when should the baby be named—may the baby be named at any time, or is it better to wait until the se

Summary:

A woman in labor remains obligated to pray unless blood comes from her that takes the ruling of nifas. Mere labor pains or the breaking of the water do not cause the obligation of prayer to fall away. She prays according to her ability, and she may combine Dhuhr with Asr and Maghrib with Isha if performing every prayer in its proper time becomes difficult for her because of the severity of labor. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin رحمه الله explicitly stated that it is permissible for a pregnant woman to combine prayers when there is hardship. There is no specific dua in the Sunnah for childbirth, nor is there any particular surah specifically prescribed to make childbirth easier. However, she may make the authentic general duas, recite the Quran, and perform Shariah ruqyah. Among the beneficial authentic duas is: “O Allah, there is no ease except what You make easy, and You make the difficult easy if You will.” Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله authenticated it. Explanation: Dua is the foundation of worship, and through it a person draws close to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and lovingly appeals to Him. The true believer turns to Him سبحانه وتعالى in all of his affairs and asks Him for his needs, for He is the All-Powerful and His treasures are full. In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “O Allah, there is no ease except what You make easy,” meaning: nothing is gentle or easy except that which You make gentle and easy. “And You make the difficult easy if You will.” The word “al-hazn” refers to rough and difficult land, while easy land is its opposite. What is intended here is a difficult and strenuous matter. In other words, everything is subject to Your will and power; You are able to subdue difficulties and make them easy. This is from lovingly appealing to Allah and completely submitting to Him. Nifas is blood connected to childbirth. It occurs with childbirth, and it may occur shortly before it if it is accompanied by signs of childbirth such as labor contractions. As for the breaking of the water by itself, it is not nifas. According to the stronger view, the maximum period of nifas is forty days. Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها reported: “The women experiencing nifas during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would remain [without praying] after their nifas for forty days or forty nights, and we used to apply wars to our faces because of the discoloration.” [Sahih Abi Dawud.] After childbirth, a number of Sunnahs are prescribed: 1- Performing tahnik for the newborn with a date and supplicating for blessing for the child Abu Musa al-Ashari رضي الله عنه said: “A boy was born to me, so I brought him to the Prophet ﷺ. He named him Ibrahim, performed tahnik for him with a date, and supplicated for blessing for him.” [Agreed upon.] Tahnik means chewing a date until it becomes soft and then rubbing it onto the palate of the newborn. 2- Giving the newborn a good name The child may be named from the day of birth. Anas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “A boy was born to me tonight, and I named him after my father Ibrahim.” [Narrated by Muslim.] Text of the hadith concerning the naming of Ibrahim on the day of his birth. It is also established that naming may be done on the seventh day, as in the forthcoming hadith of Samurah. Therefore, the matter is broad: the child may be named on the day of birth or on the seventh day. Samurah ibn Jundub رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Every boy is held in pledge for his aqiqah; it is slaughtered for him on the seventh day, his head is shaved, and he is named.” [Sahih Ibn Majah.] 3- The aqiqah for the newborn Abdullah ibn Amr رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “For a boy, two equivalent sheep, and for a girl, one sheep.” [Sahih Abi Dawud.] Hadith: Two sheep for a boy and one sheep for a girl. Thus, the Sunnah is two sheep for a male and one sheep for a female. 4- Slaughtering the aqiqah on the seventh day Samurah ibn Jundub رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Every boy is held in pledge for his aqiqah; it is slaughtered for him on the seventh day, his head is shaved, and he is named.” [Sahih Ibn Majah.] This hadith combines three Sunnahs to be performed on the seventh day: the aqiqah, shaving the head, and naming the child. 5- Shaving the head of a male newborn This is included in the previous hadith: “…his head is shaved, and he is named.” This applies to a boy. As for shaving the head of a female newborn, I do not consider it to be from the Sunnahs. Rather, some of the people of knowledge regard it as disliked, since no authentic and explicit hadith has been established, as far as I know, commanding the shaving of the head of a female newborn. 6- Giving the weight of the hair in silver as charity It is reported from Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ instructed Fatimah رضي الله عنها: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed the aqiqah for al-Hasan with a sheep and said: ‘O Fatimah, shave his head and give the weight of his hair in silver as charity.’” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, and Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله graded it Hasan.] 7- Circumcising the male newborn Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Five are from the fitrah: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, plucking the armpit hair, clipping the nails, and trimming the moustache.” [Agreed upon.] Hadith: Circumcision is from the characteristics of the fitrah. Thus, circumcision is established as one of the characteristics of the fitrah. However, there is no authentic hadith establishing that the newborn must specifically be circumcised on the seventh day. Important Note: The Adhan and Iqamah in the Newborn’s Ear I do not include these among the authentic and established Sunnahs because the hadiths concerning giving the adhan and iqamah in the newborn’s ear are not authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ. Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله declared them weak. Therefore, neither the adhan nor the iqamah in the newborn’s ear is to be regarded as one of the authentic Sunnahs established from the Prophet ﷺ. Thus, the ordered summary is: Tahnik and supplicating for blessing → naming → aqiqah on the seventh day → shaving the boy’s head on the seventh day → giving the weight of the hair in silver as charity, although there is discussion regarding its hadith → circumcision. The most firmly established of these Sunnahs are: tahnik, naming, aqiqah, shaving the boy’s head, and circumcision.

Answer:

First: What Should a Woman Do During Labor Regarding Dhikr, Dua, and the Quran?

No specific dua has been authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ to be said at the beginning of labor contractions or during childbirth. Likewise, it has not been authentically established that Surah Maryam, Surah al-Zalzalah, or any other surah should specifically be designated as the “surah of childbirth.”

From the Scholars:

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin رحمه الله was asked about verses to be recited to facilitate childbirth, and he said:
“I do not know of anything from the Sunnah concerning that.” He then mentioned that there is no harm in reciting over a pregnant woman verses that indicate ease, such as the statement of Allah تعالى: “Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.” [Al-Baqarah: 185]
And verses relating to pregnancy and giving birth, as the entire Quran is a healing. Therefore, it should not be said that these are specific verses prescribed by the Sunnah for childbirth. Rather, they are recited as a form of ruqyah, dua, and recitation of the Quran, which is a healing.

Among the appropriate authentic duas are: 1- The Dua for Making Difficult Matters Easy

From the Sunnah:

MuslimAnas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“O Allah, there is no ease except what You make easy, and You make the difficult easy if You will.”
اللَّهُمَّ لَا سَهْلَ إِلَّا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلًا، وَأَنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الْحَزْنَ إِذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلًا Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله said: “Its chain of narration is authentic according to the conditions of Muslim.”

2- The Dua for Distress

From the Sunnah:

Al Bukhari and MuslimAbdullah ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, the Magnificent, the Forbearing. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, and Lord of the Noble Throne.”. [Agreed upon.]
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ، وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ She may also supplicate with whatever permissible dua she wishes, such as: “O Allah, make my delivery easy. O Allah, keep me safe and keep my child safe. O Allah, bring the child forth safe and healthy,” and similar duas, for the matter of dua is broad.

Second: How Does a Woman Pray While She Is in Labor? The basic principle is that she continues praying, and the prayer does not cease to be obligatory merely because she is in labor.

From the Qur'an:

[Al-Taghabun: 16]
“So fear Allah as much as you are able.”
If she is able to stand, she prays standing. If that is difficult for her or she is unable to do so, she prays sitting. If she is unable to do that, then she prays on her side, and she performs whatever she is able to of the bowing and prostration.

From the Scholars:

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin رحمه الله said regarding the sick person:
“The important point is that as long as the mind remains sound, the prayer does not cease to be obligatory. He should perform it in its time in whatever condition he is in, according to his ability.”
This also applies to a woman whose labor has become severe, so long as she has not entered the ruling of a woman experiencing nifas.

Third: Is It Permissible for Her to Combine the Prayers During Labor? Yes, if labor makes it difficult for her to perform each prayer within its own time. She may combine: -Dhuhr with Asr, either by combining them at the earlier time or the later time. -And Maghrib with Isha, either by combining them at the earlier time or the later time. As for Fajr, it is not combined with any other prayer.

From the Scholars:

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin رحمه الله said:
“Whenever there is hardship—and what is meant by hardship here is difficulty—then combining is permissible… even a pregnant woman, if it is difficult for her to perform every prayer in its proper time, may combine.”
He رحمه الله also said regarding the sick person:
“What is obligatory upon the sick person is to perform every prayer in its proper time, unless that becomes difficult for him. In that case, he may combine Dhuhr and Asr, and Maghrib and Isha.”
Therefore, mild labor does not in itself permit combining the prayers. Rather, what is taken into consideration is the presence of hardship.

Fourth: When Does a Woman Stop Praying: When Labor Begins, When Her Water Breaks, or When Blood Appears? This is one of the most important issues in the question. 1- Labor Contractions Alone: They do not cause the obligation of prayer to fall away. If labor begins and no nifas blood has appeared, she is still under the ruling of a woman in a state of purity, and she prays according to her ability. 2- The Breaking of the Water: This is not considered nifas, and the obligation of prayer does not fall away because of it.

From the Scholars:

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin رحمه الله was asked about the discharge of water before childbirth, and he said:
“This is not nifas, because nifas is blood, not water.”
“This is not nifas, because nifas is blood, not water.”

3- Blood Appearing With Labor Contractions Close to Delivery If blood appears close to childbirth and is accompanied by signs of childbirth and labor contractions, then it takes the ruling of nifas according to a group of the people of knowledge.

From the Scholars:

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin رحمه الله said:
“Nifas is the blood that occurs at childbirth with labor contractions. If her labor contractions begin one or two days before giving birth, then she is a woman experiencing nifas. As for blood that occurs without labor contractions, it is not nifas.”
According to the Hanbalis, blood that precedes childbirth by two or three days while being accompanied by a sign of childbirth, such as pain and labor contractions, is nifas. Therefore, the summary is that the determining factor is not the breaking of the water, but rather blood connected to childbirth.

Fifth: If She Gives Birth Without Any Blood Appearing, Does She Stop Praying? No. The mere delivery of the child does not mean that the woman must stop praying for forty days. If she gives birth and sees no blood, then she is not considered a woman experiencing nifas with regard to the rulings connected to blood, and she continues to pray.

From the Scholars:

This was the view chosen by Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin رحمه الله. He said:
“If she gives birth at sunrise, then Dhuhr enters and she has not seen any blood, she does not perform ghusl; rather, she performs wudu and prays.”
This is an important issue because some people think that every woman who gives birth must stop praying for forty days even if there is no blood. This is incorrect.

Sixth: How Long Does Nifas Last? The stronger view is that the maximum period of nifas is forty days. The evidence is in the hadith,

From the Sunnah:

Sahih Abi Dawud. Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها:
“The women experiencing nifas during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would remain [without praying] after their nifas for forty days or forty nights.”
This does not mean that she must refrain from prayer for forty days. Rather, if she becomes pure after five days, ten days, or twenty days, she performs ghusl and prays.

From the Scholars:

For this reason, Shaykh Ibn Baz رحمه الله said:
“If the blood stops before forty days, she performs ghusl and prays.”
Therefore, there is no minimum limit for nifas.

Seventh: How Does She Know That She Has Become Pure From Nifas? Purity is known by one of two signs: -The white discharge known to women, or complete dryness, such that she places a piece of cotton or something similar and it comes out clean, with no blood, yellowish discharge, or brownish discharge upon it. If she sees the sign of purity, even before forty days, she performs ghusl, prays, and fasts. -As for yellowish or brownish discharge connected to the nifas blood before purity has been established, it is considered part of nifas.

From the Scholars:

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin رحمه الله said regarding yellowish discharge and other discharge after nifas blood:
“So long as clear and evident purity has not appeared, it follows the ruling of the blood.”

Eighth: If the Blood Stops and Then Returns Before Forty Days If she becomes certain that she has attained purity, she performs ghusl and prays throughout the period of her purity. If nifas blood then returns again within the forty-day period, she returns to the ruling of a woman experiencing nifas, according to the stronger view.

From the Scholars:

Shaykh Ibn Baz رحمه الله said:
“If she is within the forty days of nifas and the blood stops, she performs ghusl, prays, and fasts… If the blood then returns during the forty days, the correct view is that she refrains [from prayer and fasting].”
She does not repeat the prayers she performed during the days in which she was pure because she performed them while she was in a state of purity.

Ninth: How Does She Distinguish Nifas Blood From Istihadah After Childbirth? The simplest practical order is as follows: Before childbirth: Blood that appears close to childbirth and is accompanied by labor contractions and signs of delivery takes the ruling of nifas according to the scholars previously mentioned. From childbirth until the completion of forty days: Blood connected to childbirth is nifas blood. If she becomes pure during the forty days, she performs ghusl and prays. If the blood returns within the forty days, the ruling of nifas returns. After forty days: According to the view that the maximum period of nifas is forty days, the basic principle is that any additional bleeding is istihadah, unless it coincides with the time of her normal menstrual period and has the characteristics of her menstrual blood, in which case it is menstruation. A woman experiencing istihadah prays and fasts and takes measures to prevent the blood from spreading. According to the correct view, she is not required to perform wudu for every prayer because the blood of istihadah is not an occurrence that invalidates wudu. Its ruling is like that of other blood that exits from somewhere other than the two private passages, such as blood from wounds and the like. Conclusion: A woman in labor does not stop praying merely because of pain or because her water has broken. Rather, she prays according to her ability, and she may combine prayers when there is hardship. She only stops praying when she comes under the ruling of a woman experiencing nifas due to blood connected to childbirth. This includes, according to the scholars previously mentioned, blood appearing close to delivery while accompanied by labor contractions. If she becomes pure before forty days, she performs ghusl and prays and does not wait until the completion of forty days. The hadith concerning forty days was graded Hasan and Sahih by Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله. As for matters relating to the newborn, what is established is: naming the child, performing tahnik with a date, supplicating for blessing for the child, performing the aqiqah on the seventh day, and shaving the head of the boy. The child may be named from the moment of birth, and the naming may also be done on the seventh day; both are established in the Sunnah. It is not a condition that the father perform the tahnik, nor is any particular type of date required.

And Allah knows best.

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What Are the Rulings Concerning Labor and Nifas, and What Sunnahs Are Prescribed for the Newborn Regarding Tahnik and Naming?

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