A R Gatrad

Muslim birth customs.

Over 20 000 babies are born annually to a population of approximately two million Muslims in the United Kingdom.1The overwhelming majority of British Muslims will respect the rites of passage recommended by Islamic teaching. The customs are many, and may seem unnecessarily rigid and prescriptive; however, to those within the tradition, they are deeply symbolic, coherent, and complementary. We give an insiders perspective here for the uninitiated. Children have many rights that are clearly articulated in Islamic Law, and for the most part these are well respected. Beginning before conception, they have the right to be born through a legitimate union, with full knowledge of their parentage. The social experiments currently taking place in some countries, facilitating the use of donor sperms and eggs to help barren couples to conceive are therefore categorically prohibited by Islam. Also due to the child are the rights to a good name, to be suckled, to be educated, and above all, to be reared in a stable and loving environment. ### THE ADHAN It is customary for the father, or a respected member of the local community, to whisper the Adhan into the babys right ear. These words include the name of Allah the Creator and is followed by the Declaration of Faith: “There is no deity but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” Both of these fundamental pronouncements serve as the pivot around which the life of a Muslim rotates, hence their symbolic significance at birth. Ideally Adhan should be performed as soon as possible after birth; the entire ceremony takes only a few minutes, and it is generally appreciated if parents are allowed the opportunity to perform this rite in privacy. ### TAHNEEK Soon after birth, and preferably before the infant is fed, a small piece of softened date is gently rubbed into his/her upper …

Hajj and risk of blood borne infections

Editor,—Annually, some two and a half million pilgrims congregate in the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj (pilgrimage), a religious duty for all adult Muslims who are physically and financially able. Because of …

Developing multi-faith chaplaincy.

For spirit’s sake ... To be human, one has a spirit. That this spirit is named and nurtured in multiple ways around the globe does not detract from the fact that it exists at the core of each and every being.1 So how, in modern day medical practice is this essential aspect of health catered for, for the children and their families from non-Christian faiths? Ever since the inception of the NHS, hospital authorities have attempted to “provide” for the spiritual needs of patients and staff. Almost every hospital in Britain boasts a chapel and during the past 50 years over 400 hospital chaplains have been appointed. In pluralist societies, it is however essential that the spiritual needs of all faith communities are identified and met.2 Regrettably, this has not been the case with respect to many of the estimated three million Britons, or the one in ten children subscribing to non-Christian minority faith and ethnic communities.3 Acculturation—the process by which minority cultures gradually adopt the values and ethos of the majority culture—has for many families resulted in the erosion of traditional support networks. Such lay alliances have hitherto often been crucial buffers during times of illness, turmoil, and grief. And minority communities have, as has repeatedly been shown by government reports on health inequalities, more than their fair share of morbidity and mortality, starting from the neonatal period and extending over …

Dicycloverine for persistent crying in babies: Authors' reply

EDITOR—We thank Goldman and Steinhertz for their helpful comments. Neither of us uses dicycloverine (dicyclomine) in managing babies with persistent crying, but, given that our article aimed to provide, as far as possible, an evidence linked summary of the evidence for managing persistent …