1 / 4
The First Feeding
131. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “The first thing a newborn should be given is warm water.”1
132. Musnad Abu Ya‘lā, narrating from Abu Musā who said: “A son was born to me. I took him to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) and he named him Ibrāhim. He then fed him a date [as the first piece of food he ate], prayed that he be blessed, and he then returned him to me.”2
133. Sahih Muslim, narrating from ‘A'ishah who said: “Newborns were brought to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) and he blessed them and was the first to feed them.”3
134. Imām ‘Ali (a.s.) said: “Feed your newborns firstly with dates, as the Prophet (s.a.w.) did so with Hasan and Husain (a.s.).”4
135. al-Kāfi, narrating from Yunus, from one of the companions that Abu Ja‘far [al-Bāqir] (a.s.) said: “The first food of a newborn should be the water of the Euphrates, and the Iqāmah is to be recited in his ear.”
In another narration he (a.s.) said: “The first food that should be given to your children is water from the Euphrates and soil from the grave of Husain (a.s.), and if that is not possible, then with rain water.”5
136. Imām al-Sādiq (a.s.) said: “Let the first thing your children take be the soil from the grave of Husain (a.s.), for it is a safeguard.”6
137. Imām al-Ridā said, in al-Fiqh –a book attributed to him-: “When a child is born, feed him first with water from the
Euphrates if you are able to, otherwise with honey.”7
1.. Jāmi‘ al-Ahādith, p. ۱۴۱. al-Imāmah wa al-Tabsirah, p. ۱۷۶.
2.. Musnad Abu Ya‘lā, vol. ۶, p. ۴۱۴, h. ۷۲۷۸. Kanz al-‘Ummāl, vol. ۱۳, p. ۲۶۸, h.۳۶۷۸۸.
3.. Sahih Muslim, vol. ۳, p. ۱۶۹۱, h. ۲۷. al-Musannaf by Ibn Abu Shaybah, vol. ۵, p.۴۳۰, h. ۴.
4.. al-Kāfi, vol. ۶, p. ۲۴, h. ۵, narrating from Abu Basir from Imām al-Sādiq (a.s.). Tahdhib al-Ahkām, vol. ۷, p. ۴۲۷, h. ۱۷۴۱, narrating from Abu Basir. al-Khisāl, p. ۶۳۷, h. ۱۰, narrating from Abu Basir and Muhammad ibn Muslim from Imām al-Sādiq (a.s.) from his forefathers (a.s.).
5.. al-Kāfi, vol. ۶, p. ۲۴, h. ۳- ۴. Tahdhib al-Ahkām, vol. ۷, p. ۴۳۶, h. ۱۷۳۹- ۱۷۴۰.
6.. Tahdhib al-Ahkām, vol. ۶, p. ۷۴, h. ۱۴۳, narrating from al-Husain ibn Abu Ya‘lā. al-Da‘awāt, p. ۱۸۵, h. ۵۱۳.
7.. al-Fiqh al-Mansub li Imām al-Ridā (a.s.), p. ۲۳۹, Mustardak al-Wasā'il, vol. ۱۵, p.۱۳۸, h. ۱۷۷۸۳.
