Answer: A child who has just been born is called a newborn and has specific customs, just like other matters. Some of the customs of the newborn were mentioned in question 195 of the channel.

One of the instructions of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, regarding the newborn is 'ghusl' (ritual bathing), which is mentioned in a hadith where Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, listed many obligatory and recommended ghusls. First, pay attention to the text of the hadith:

عَن سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فی حدیثٍ قَالَ غُسْلُ الْمَوْلُودِ وَاجِبٌ

Al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 40

Translation: Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said in a hadith: '...Washing the child who has just been born is obligatory...'

According to the above text, the child who is born is given a ghusl by the midwife or his relatives. In this regard, the question arises whether the meaning of this ghusl is just washing or the ritual ghusl that is performed with specific customs, where first the head and then the body are washed.

In response to this question, it must be said that this ghusl is mentioned among a large number of obligatory and recommended ghusls, and all of those ghusls, such as the ghusl of janabah, Friday, the day of Arafah, etc., are undoubtedly and without any dispute performed with the specific ritual customs mentioned in the narrations. There is no evidence or reason for the quality of the newborn's ghusl to be different from other ghusls. And wherever the narrations speak of human ghusl, it is used to mean the same ritual ghusl, unless certain evidence from other narrations proves that it means washing without the rituals. In this case, no evidence is available, and it is necessary to perform this ghusl with the same rituals mentioned in the ghusl narrations and with the intention of ghusl in the order mentioned in the narrations. A mere wash, which is done by midwives today, is not sufficient and is not certain.

Another question that arises in this regard is whether it is still necessary to give the ghusl if several days have passed since the birth and a correct ghusl becomes possible after that?

In response to this question, it is said that there is no specific text for this question in the narrations, and we use the following general principle and perform the ghusl as a precaution:

عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ عَنْ رَجُلَیْنِ أَصَابَا صَیْداً وَ هُمَا مُحْرِمَانِ الْجَزَاءُ بَیْنَهُمَا أَمْ عَلَی کُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا جَزَاءٌ فَقَالَ لَا بَلْ عَلَیْهِمَا جَمِیعاً وَ یَجْزِی کُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا الصَّیْدَ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ بَعْضَ أَصْحَابِنَا سَأَلَنِی عَنْ ذَلِکَ فَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا عَلَیْهِ فَقَالَ إِذَا أَصَبْتُمْ مِثْلَ هَذَا فَلَمْ تَدْرُوا فَعَلَیْکُمْ بِالاحْتِیَاطِ حَتَّی تَسْأَلُوا عَنْهُ فَتَعْلَمُوا

Al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 391

Translation: Abdul-Rahman ibn Hajjaj said: 'I asked Imam Kazim, peace be upon him: 'Two men who are in a state of ihram hunt together, is the expiation for both of them jointly or is it on each of them?' The Imam said: 'No, rather it is on both of them, and each of them must give a separate expiation for the hunt.' I said: 'One of our companions asked me about this matter and I did not know what was on him.' The Imam said:

'If you are afflicted with matters like this and you do not know, then it is on you to take precautions until you ask about it and gain knowledge.'

According to the above narration, which at its end provides an important and widely used principle for the students of the school of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, in cases where there is a possibility of a religious duty and we do not have knowledge about it, we act according to the principle of precaution.

This important principle, like other principles of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, must be used with correct understanding and in its right place.