Question Summary:
What is the correct sunnah when the child is born? Should the azaan and iqaamah both be given in the right and left ears respectively or only the azaan should be given because the hadith of Hasan bin Ali and Ibn Abbas (RA) is weak and the hadith of Abu Raafi’ is authentic? Why is the azaan and iqaamah both encouraged when the ahaadeeth are weak rather, only the azaan should be encouraged because of the authenticity of the hadith. Please clarify.

Question Detail:

What is the correct sunnah when the child is born? Should the azaan and iqaamah both be given in the right and left ears respectively or only the azaan should be given because the hadith of Hasan bin Ali and Ibn Abbas (RA) is weak and the hadith of Abu Raafi' is authentic? Why is the azaan and iqaamah both encouraged when the ahaadeeth are weak  rather, only the azaan should be encouraged because of the authenticity of the hadith. Please clarify.

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
 
It is masnoon to call the adhan in the ear of a newborn baby. This is proven in the Hadith of Abu Raafi’ (RadiyAllahu Anhu) in Tirmidhi which Imam Tirmidhi (Rahimahullah) has declared as a sound Hadith.
حدثنا محمد بن بشار حدثنا يحيى بن سعيد و عبد الرحمن بن مهدي قالا أخبرنا سفيان عن عاصم بن عبيد الله ن عن عبيد الله بن أبي رافع عن ابيه قال : رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم أذن في أذن الحسن بن علي حين ولدته فاطمة بالصلاة
 قال ابو عيسى هذا حديث حسن صحيح
“Abu Raafi’ (RadiyAllahu Anhu) says that he saw Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) give adhan in the ear of Hasan the son of Ali (RadiyAllahu Anhuma) when Fatima (RadiyAllahu Anha) gave birth”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, #1514)
The Hadith does not state which ear the adhan should particularly be called in. However, it is a sunnah to do good acts starting from the right side. Furthermore, there are other weaker Ahadith which state that the adhan should be called in the right ear and iqamah in the left.
حدثنا جبارة ، حدثنا يحيى بن العلاء ، عن مروان بن سالم ، عن طلحة بن عبيد الله ، عن حسين قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : « من ولد له فأذن في أذنه اليمنى وأقام في أذنه اليسرى لم تضره أم الصبيان »
“Husain (RadiyAllahu Anhu) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: For whoever is born, give adhan in the right ear and iqamah in the left ear so  the sickness of Um Sibyaan will not affect him”
(Musnad Abi Ya’la, #6634)
Therefore, we can say the act of calling the adhan in the ear of the newborn baby is sunnah and it is mustahab (desirable) to call the adhan in the right ear and iqamah in the left.
(Fatawa Mahmudiyyah, 5/456, Faruqiyya)
(Ahsanul-Fatawa, 2/276, HM Saeed)
وعن أبي رافع رضي الله عنه أي مولى النبي قال رأيت رسول الله أذن في أذن الحسن بن علي……أذن بمثل أذان الصلاة وهذا يدل على سنية الأذان في إذن المولود وفي شرح السنة روي أن عمر بن عبد العزيز رضي الله عنه كان يؤذن في اليمنى ويقيم في اليسرى إذا ولد الصبي
 
“Abu Raafi’ (RadiyAllahu Anhu) says: I saw Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) give the adhan in the ear of Hasan bin Ali (RadiyAllahu Anhuma)……….He gave adhan in the way it is given for prayer and this is the proof for the act of calling adhan in the ear of a newborn being sunnah. It is also stated in Sharhus Sunnah that Umar bin Abdul Aziz (RadiyAllahu Anhu) gave adhan in the right ear and iqamah in the left ear of a child when it was born”
(Mirqatul-Mafatih, 7/75, Rashidiyya)
And Allah knows best
Wassalaamu `alaykum
Ml. Asif Umar,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah