Question: Is it permissible to place a piece of cloth or leather on the stomach of infants or older children? We place a piece of cloth or leather on the stomachs of children of various ages. We hope you will inform us about this.
Answer: If the purpose of placing a piece of leather or cloth on the children’s stomachs is the same as that of amulets, i.e., to gain benefit or to protect from harm, then this is forbidden and sometimes amounts to shirk (associating partners with Allah). However, if it is done for a legitimate reason, such as preventing swelling of the navel below or firmly binding the back, then there is no harm in it.
