✅ Answer: The rubbing of a newborn's palate and the roof of its mouth at the time of birth and before breastfeeding with soil, dates, rainwater, or the water of the Euphrates is called 'rubbing the palate of a newborn'.

1 عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ علیه السلام حَنِّكُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ بِالتَّمْرِ فَكَذَا فَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ بِالْحَسَنِ وَ الْحُسَيْن

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 24

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said: 'Rub the palate of your children with dates, for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) did this with Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (peace be upon them).'

2 عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: يُحَنَّكُ الْمَوْلُودُ بِمَاءِ الْفُرَاتِ وَ يُقَامُ فِي أُذُنِه

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 24

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said:

'The palate of a newborn (a recently born child) is rubbed with the water of the Euphrates, and the iqamah is recited in his ear.'

3 قَالَ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ وَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى: حَنِّكُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ بِمَاءِ الْفُرَاتِ وَ بِتُرْبَةِ قَبْرِ الْحُسَيْنِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فَبِمَاءِ السَّمَاء

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 24

Sheikh Kulayni said: 'And in another narration, it is stated: 'Rub the palate of your children with the water of the Euphrates and with the soil of the grave of Husayn (peace be upon him). If that is not available, rub it with rainwater.'

4 عن میثم قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أُمِّي تَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ نَجْمَةَ أُمَّ الرِّضَا تَقُولُ فِي حَدِيثٍ لَمَّا وَضَعْتُ ابْنِي عَلِيّاً دَخَلَ إِلَيَّ أَبُوهُ مُوسَى بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ علیهماالسلام فَنَاوَلْتُهُ إِيَّاهُ فِي خِرْقَةٍ بَيْضَاءَ فَأَذَّنَ فِي أُذُنِهِ الْيُمْنَى وَ أَقَامَ فِي الْيُسْرَى وَ دَعَا بِمَاءِ الْفُرَاتِ فَحَنَّكَهُ بِهِ ثُمَّ رَدَّهُ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ خُذِيهِ فَإِنَّهُ بَقِيَّةُ اللَّهِ فِي أَرْضِه

📚 Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha, Vol. 1, p. 20

Umm Maytham said: I heard Najmah, the mother of Imam Ridha (peace be upon him), say: 'When I gave birth to my son Ali, his father, Musa ibn Ja'far (peace be upon them), came to me. I handed him to him in a white cloth. He then recited the adhan in his right ear and the iqamah in his left ear, and he asked for the water of the Euphrates, with which he rubbed his palate. Then he returned him to me and said: 'Take him, for he is the 'Remainder of Allah on His earth'!'

5 سَعْدَانَ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ رَفَعُوهُ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ علیه السلام قَالَ: أَمَا إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْكُوفَةِ لَوْ حَنَّكُوا أَوْلَادَهُمْ بِمَاءِ الْفُرَاتِ لَكَانُوا شِيعَةً لَنَا

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 389

Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said:

'Know that if the people of Kufa had rubbed the palate of their children with the water of the Euphrates, they would have been our followers (Shiites)!'

6 عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ:نَهْرَانِ مُؤْمِنَانِ وَ نَهْرَانِ كَافِرَانِ نَهْرَانِ كَافِرَانِ نَهْرُ بَلْخٍ وَ دِجْلَةَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنَانِ نِيلُ مِصْرَ وَ الْفُرَاتُ فَحَنِّكُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ بِمَاءِ الْفُرَات

📚 Kamil al-Ziyarat, p. 49

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:

'Two rivers are believers and two rivers are infidels.'

'The two rivers that are infidels are: the Balkh river and the Tigris.'

'And the two rivers that are believers are: the Nile of Egypt and the Euphrates. So rub the palate of your children with the water of the Euphrates.'

7 سُلَيْمَان قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّه يَقُولُ مَا أَظُنُّ أَحَداً يُحَنَّكُ بِمَاءِ الْفُرَاتِ إِلَّا أَحَبَّنَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْت

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p. 39

I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) say: 'I do not think that the palate of anyone is rubbed with the water of the Euphrates unless he loves us, the Ahl al-Bayt.'

8 عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ علیه السلام قَالَ: مَا إِخَالُ أَحَداً يُحَنَّكُ بِمَاءِ الْفُرَاتِ- إِلَّا أَحَبَّنَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ- وَ قَالَ لِامْرِئٍ مَا سُقِيَ أَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ مَاءَ الْفُرَاتِ إِلَّا لِأَمْرٍ مَا وَ قَالَ يُصَبُّ فِيهِ مِيزَابَانِ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 388

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:

'I do not think (I do not imagine) that the palate of anyone is rubbed with the water of the Euphrates unless he loves us, the Ahl al-Bayt. And he said to a person: 'The people of Kufa have not drunk the water of the Euphrates except for a reason (there is a reason for it).' And he said: 'Into the Euphrates, two spouts from paradise flow!'

9 الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ أَبِي الْعَلَاءِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّه يَقُولُ : حَنِّكُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ بِتُرْبَةِ الْحُسَيْنِ فَإِنَّهَا أَمَانٌ

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p. 74

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:

'Rub the palate of your children with the soil and the sacred soil of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him), for it is surely a protection!'

✅ According to the above narrations, for rubbing the palate of a newborn, the water of the Euphrates and the sacred soil of the grave of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) are highly recommended, and dates and rainwater are also specified for this purpose.

Rubbing the palate of children

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