Title

You mentioned about Tahneek. Should it be given on seventh day or first thing in the mouth of the baby after birth? Second what should be given as Tahneek? (like dates). Is there any sunnah for what sweet.

Question

I wanted to ask question regarding your fatwa 15640. You mentioned about Tahneek. Should it be given on seventh day or first thing in the mouth of the baby after birth?  Second what should be given as Tahneek? (like dates). Is there any sunnah for what sweet.

The other thing I wanted to ask about fasting. My wife will start 8th month of pregnancy in this Ramadan. She is also on insulin during this period. She is not diabetic but on the border. As in normal without pregnancy, she does not need any insulin but during pregnancy her sugar level increases and doctors gave insulin. Should she keep fasts or wait and keep after delivery.

Also she has some other qada fasts, which she has to makeup. After delivery when she is breast feeding the baby, can she keep fast or she should wait for some time.

Jazaka-Allah Khair

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

1. Tahneek should be performed on the day of birth. The first preference to be used for Tahneek is normal dates, then Rutab (fresh dates), then honey and then anything sweet. The method of Tahneek is to chew the date into a paste-like substance and then to apply a small amount of that paste onto the baby's palate. (Fathul Bari vol. 15 pg. 390)

فتح الباري لابن حجر - (ج 15 / ص 390)

قَوْله ( وَتَحْنِيكه )

أَيْ غَدَاة يُولَد ، وَكَأَنَّهُ قَيَّدَ بِالْغَدَاةِ اِتِّبَاعًا لِلَفْظِ الْخَبَر . وَالْغَدَاة تُطْلَق وَيُرَاد بِهَا مُطْلَق الْوَقْت وَهُوَ الْمُرَاد هُنَا ، وَإِنَّمَا اِتَّفَقَ تَأْخِير ذَلِكَ لِضَرُورَةِ الْوَاقِع ، فَلَوْ اِتَّفَقَ أَنَّهَا تَلِد نِصْف النَّهَار مَثَلًا فَوَقْت التَّحْنِيك وَالتَّسْمِيَة بَعْد الْغَدَاة قَطْعًا . وَالتَّحْنِيك مَضْغ الشَّيْء وَوَضْعه فِي فَم الصَّبِيّ وَدَلْك حَنَكه بِهِ ، يُصْنَع ذَلِكَ بِالصَّبِيِّ لِيَتَمَرَّنَّ عَلَى الْأَكْل وَيَقْوَى عَلَيْهِ . وَيَنْبَغِي عِنْد التَّحْنِيك أَنْ يُفْتَح فَاهُ حَتَّى يَنْزِل جَوْفه ، وَأَوْلَاهُ التَّمْرُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَتَيَسَّر تَمْر فَرُطَب ، وَإِلَّا فَشَيْء حُلْو ، وَعَسَل النَّحْل أَوْلَى مِنْ غَيْره ، ثُمَّ مَا لَمْ تَمَسّهُ نَار كَمَا فِي نَظِيره مِمَّا يُفْطِر الصَّائِم عَلَيْهِ

2. An insulin injection will not nullify the fast. However it is advisable to act on the advice of a competent physician in determining whether she should fast or not.

3. It is permissible to fast while breastfeeding

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Mufti Moosa Salie

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa