4. Children
are a precious gift from God, and
the blessing of a child is a special time in a
person's life. All cultures and religious
traditions have certain ways of welcoming
a newborn child into the community. Let us
look at the rituals or practices of the four
main religions.
5. Two
main rituals accompany the birth of a
child. First, the Call to Prayer or the Adhan
is whispered into the newborn's right ear
as the first sound it hears. This act
symbolically brings the baby into an
awareness of Allah from the first moment
of life. This is accompanied by reading
from the Quran and other small rites.
6.
7. Muslim
women tend to prefer allfemale attendants at the
birth, whether they be
doctors, nurses, midwives or
female relatives. However, it is
permissible in Islam for male
doctors to attend to a pregnant
woman.
8. There
is no Islamic teaching
that prohibits fathers from
attending the birth of their
child; this is left up to personal
choice.
9. Islam
practices male circumcision with for
sole purpose of cleanliness. The male
child may be circumcised at any time
which is convenient without ceremony;
however parents usually have their son
circumcised before his trip home from the
hospital.
10. Muslim
women are encouraged to give
their children the nourishment of breast
milk. The Quran instructs that if a woman
breastfeeds her children, their period of
weaning is two years.
11. To
celebrate a child's birth, it is
recommended that a father slaughter one
or two animals (sheep or goats). One third
of the meat is given away to the poor, and
the rest shared in a community meal.
Relatives, friends, and neighbours are thus
invited to share in celebrating the happy
event.
12. This
is traditionally done the seventh day
after the child's birth, but may be
postponed to later. The name for this event
comes from the Arabic word 'aq, which
means "cut." This is also traditionally the
time when the child's hair is cut or shaved
13. It
is traditional, but not required, for parents
to shave the hair of their newborn child on
the seventh day after birth. The hair is
weighed, and an equivalent amount in
silver or gold is donated to the poor.
14.
15. One
of the very first duties that parents have
toward a new child, besides physical care and
love, is to give the child a meaningful Muslim
name. It is reported that the Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: "On the Day of
Resurrection, you will be called by your
names and by your fathers' names, so give
yourselves good names" Muslim children are
usually named within seven days of their
birth.
16. What
are some things that Muslims do in
your own words based on what you have
just read?
Are
they similar in any way to what you
know about the celebration of birth in
Christianity or any other religion or in
society in general today?
17. Hindus
believe that it is the responsibility
of each individual to continue the Hindu
race and therefore soon after a couple are
married, a prayer called Garbhadana
(conception) is recited for fulfillment of
one's parental obligations.
18. Hindus believe that it is the responsibility of
each individual to continue the Hindu race.
19. During
the third and seventh month of
pregnancy the ceremonies of Punsavana
(foetus protection) and Simantonnyana are
performed. These are done for the strong
physical growth of the foetus and healthy
mental development of the unborn child.
Hindus believe that mental state of a
pregnant woman affects the unborn child.
20. Once
the child enters the world, Jatakarma
is performed to welcome the child into the
family, by putting some honey in the child's
mouth and whispering the name of God in
the child's ear.
21. The
ear-piercing ceremony (Karnavedha)
and first haircut (Mundan) ceremonies are
also considered highly significant. These
sacraments are performed on both the
sexes. Hindus believe that the piercing of a
hole in the lower lobes of the ear have
health benefits such as those of
acupuncture.
22.
23. When
the child reaches school-going
age, the Upanayana (sacred thread)
ceremony is performed. The three
strands of the sacred thread represent
the three vows (to respect the
knowledge, the parents and the
society) taken before the start of
formal education.
28. Circumcision
is a religious obligation
on Jews recalling the covenant that
God made with Abraham. Ordinarily
circumcision ceremonies take place
when the child is eight days old but it
can be delayed for medical reasons.
29. The
Brit Milah is usually attended by men.
The child is placed on the lap of a his
grandfather, if not, a male friend or relative
who has the honour of being the Sandek.
He has the responsibility of holding the
child still whilst the circumcision is
performed by a Mohel.
30.
31. Baby
boys are also given their names at
their circumcisions; it is customary to keep
the name a secret before the ceremony. It
is traditional for the child to receive his or
her name at the first public gathering, so if
the child is a girl, then she will be named at
the first public reading of the Torah at the
Synagogue.
32. Infant
Baptism is a ritual that is carried out
on babies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican
and Orthodox churches. During this
service the baby is sprinkled three times
as a symbol of forgiveness in the name of
God the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. Other churches only baptise adults.
33.
34. Some
believe that a child should decide to
become a Christian or not by themselves.
A service of dedication for babies is carried
out in unorthodox churches. This involves
giving thanks to God for the child’s safe
birth, a promise to bring up the child in a
Christian way and dedicate the baby to the
service of Christ.
35.
36. What
is another name for the service of
dedication that is done in Unorthodox
churches?
