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What is the ruling on bathing an infant after birth, and is the default state one of purity after emerging from the womb? If the default state is purity, is it permissible for the mother to embrace the child immediately after birth?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The newborn emerges pure by the consensus of Muslims, and it is not obligatory to wash him at birth; rather, it is permissible to embrace and kiss him. Among the things prescribed to be done immediately after birth is the call to prayer (Adhan) in the newborn's ear, so that the remembrance of Allah is the first thing that strikes his hearing and takes root in his heart.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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