Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

AOA,

I will InshaAllah be having my first baby in a few months time, and a lot of people have given me a lot of stuff to read, for instance i should read `ya salaamo` 12 times into a glass of water and drink it day and night. i just dont know how authentic it all is and i would want to know what really i should be doing during my term from a religious point of view.

Thank You

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Answer:

What to do during pregnancy

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

To the best of our knowledge, there is absolutely nothing in the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) whereby he (saws) advised or guided the believing woman who are pregnant to do or read anything specific or special because of their condition. Obviously, one is at absolute liberty at all times, and especially when one is pregnant, to Remember and Praise and Glorify their Lord for the all the favors He has bestowed upon them, and supplicate their Lord to grant them a healthy, righteous and pious off-spring.

But if one were to do or recite anything specific, believing that its doing or recitation would protect them from harm or bring them any good….especially when such an act is not endorsed by the Messenger of Allah (saws); then indeed it would constitute the abomination and heinous sin of ‘bida’ or innovating something in the pure and perfect deen of Al-Islam!

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations (bida), and every innovation (bida) is an error.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (bida in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation (bida) or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (bida), he is cursed by Allah, by His Angels, and by all the people!”

Your Statement: a lot of people have given me a lot of stuff to read, for instance i should read `ya salaamo` 12 times into a glass of water and drink it day and night.

Dear and beloved Sister in Islam, there is absolutely nothing in the Glorious Quran, nor in the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) which endorses or advocates the repeating of a specific Name or Attribute of Allah twelve (or a 100 or a 1000 or any number of) times into a glass of water (or anything else) and consuming it would bring about any benefit whatsoever! To do anything in Islam which is not endorsed by Allah and His Messenger (saws) would constitute a clear manifestation of ‘bida’ or innovation, and the believers who sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day must absolutely abstain from each and every innovation.

Beloved Sister, the next time you find someone telling you to do anything which they say will bring you good or protect you from harm, politely ask them to produce their evidence for their recommended act from the Quran and Sunnah. If the Quran or the Sunnah endorses the act, do so without hesitation….but if they cannot produce their evidence for their sayings from the Quran or Sunnah, know with absolute conviction that it is something these people have invented themselves without any authority…..thus fear Allah your Lord, and abstain from involving yourself in even an iota of that or any other ‘bida’.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan