Short answer
Yes. In the Hanafi school it is mustahabb (recommended) to say the adhan softly in the newborn's right ear soon after birth, and the iqamah in the left ear. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools also recommend it.
Saying the adhan in the right ear of a newborn is mustahabb, and Hanafi scholars also recommend the iqamah in the left ear. It is not obligatory, and nothing about the child's Islam depends on it.
Other madhhabs
- Maliki
- Imam Malik is reported to have disliked making it a set practice, so some Maliki scholars do not recommend it, though many later Malikis accept it.
Explanation
Abu Rafi' reported that he saw the Prophet ﷺ give the call to prayer in the ear of al-Hasan ibn Ali when Fatimah gave birth to him. Al-Tirmidhi graded the report sound, and the scholars of the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools act on it. The wisdom they mention is simple: the first words a child hears are the greatness of Allah and the testimony of faith.
How to do it:
- Hold the baby and face the qiblah if you can.
- Say the full adhan in a gentle voice near the right ear. There is no need to shout.
- Then say the iqamah near the left ear.
- Make dua for the child. See the dua for a new baby.
The iqamah in the left ear comes from a weaker report, so the scholars treat it as a recommended addition rather than a firm sunnah. Anyone present may say the adhan, usually the father, a grandparent or a pious relative. If it was missed at birth, it can still be said in the following days. In hospital it is fine to do it quietly beside the mother once the baby is settled.
Other sunnahs of the first days follow: tahnik with a date, choosing a good name, and the aqiqah on the seventh day.
The evidence
Sunan Abi Dawud 5105
Graded hasan... أذن في أذن الحسن بن علي حين ولدته فاطمة ...
"I saw the Messenger of Allah give the call to prayer in the ear of al-Hasan ibn Ali when Fatimah gave birth to him."
This is the basis for saying the adhan in a newborn's ear.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1514
Graded hasan... أذن في أذن الحسن بن علي حين ولدته فاطمة ...
"Abu Rafi' saw the Prophet give the adhan for prayer in al-Hasan's ear at his birth."
Al-Tirmidhi records the same report and notes that scholars act on it.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the adhan. Lists the occasions outside prayer where the adhan is recommended, including the ear of a newborn.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Chapter on aqiqah. States the Shafi'i recommendation of the adhan in the right ear and the iqamah in the left.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.