What dua do I say for a newborn baby?
There's no single fixed dua, but a popular congratulation is "Barakallahu laka fil-mawhubi lak, wa shakartal-wahib, wa balagha ashuddah, wa ruziqta birrah." The Prophet ﷺ himself prayed for blessing (barakah) on newborns, so any sincere dua for the baby's health, faith and goodness is sunnah in spirit.
The congratulation dua
"May Allah bless you in the one given to you. May you thank the Giver, may the child reach maturity, and may you be granted their kindness."
This wording is reported from al-Hasan al-Basri, one of the great early scholars, not from the Prophet ﷺ. It's beautiful because it covers the baby's future and the parents' gratitude. The parents can reply: "Barakallahu lakum wa baraka 'alaykum" ("May Allah bless you too").
What the Prophet ﷺ did with newborns
Abu Musa brought his newborn son to the Prophet ﷺ, who named him Ibrahim, softened a date and rubbed it on the baby's palate (tahnik), and prayed for blessing for him (Sahih al-Bukhari 5467). So a simple "Allahumma barik fih" (O Allah, bless him) or "barik fiha" for a girl follows his example.
Many parents also give the adhan in the baby's ear. See What do I whisper in my baby's ear after birth?
A dua of protection for the baby
The Prophet ﷺ used to seek protection for his grandsons Hasan and Husayn with these words, saying Ibrahim used to say them for Isma'il and Ishaq (Sahih al-Bukhari 3371):
U'idhuka bi kalimatillahit-tammah, min kulli shaytanin wa hammah, wa min kulli 'aynin lammah.
"I seek protection for you in the perfect words of Allah from every devil and every harmful creature, and from every evil eye." Use u'idhuki for a girl. It's a lovely dua to say over your baby at bedtime.
Duas from the Quran for your children
Parents can make this dua daily, from pregnancy onwards. For more, see What dua can I make for my children? and What is an aqiqah?
- Congratulate parents with "Barakallahu laka fil-mawhubi lak..."
- The Prophet ﷺ prayed for barakah on newborns, so "Allahumma barik fih" is perfect.
- Seek protection for the baby with "U'idhuka bi kalimatillahit-tammah..."
- Any sincere dua in your own words is welcome.
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