This excerpt is taken from the book published by Maktaba Darussalam's Department of Authorship and Compilation, Dictionary of Names and Rulings and Issues of Newborns.
Giving a thread (ghatta) shortly after birth is among the Shariah rulings that our religion has prescribed for a newborn child.
✿ Definition of Ghatta:
Ghutti means to chew something until it becomes soft and then mix it with the baby's palate. The well-known method is to put the chewed substance into the baby's mouth and gently move it from side to side until this chewed material is transferred inside the mouth.
The best thing to use for ghutti is dates. If they are not available, then some sweet thing should be used that can be easily obtained, such as grapes or sweet yogurt mixed with rose water. The use of something sweet is better because this way conformity and harmony with the Sunnah of the Prophet will be established, and the honor and blessing of following the practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ will also be attained.
✿ Wisdom and Benefit:
The wisdom behind giving a pacifier seems to be that when the tongue moves against the palate and the baby repeatedly moves the tongue, the muscles of the mouth will become strong, making it easier for the baby to suck the mother's milk and perform this task naturally and properly.
✿ Who should give the pacifier?
It is best to choose a respected and honorable person, a pious and virtuous individual, to give the pacifier. The benefit of this is that Allah Almighty will, through the prayers of this righteous person, also make the child pious and God-fearing.
✿ Evidence of the pacifier from the Prophetic traditions:
Giving ghuttee (chewing dates and placing them in the newborn's mouth) is a recommended and beloved practice. The following are the ahadith from which the jurists have derived the ruling for giving ghuttee:
Hazrat Abu Musa Ash'ari (RA) says:
ولد لي غلام، فأتيت به النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فسماه إبراهيم فحنكه بتمرة ودعا له بالبركة ودفعه إلي
Allah granted me a boy, so I brought him to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He suggested the name Ibrahim for him, chewed a date and gave him ghuttee, prayed for blessings for him, and then returned him to me.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Al-Aqiqah, Chapter on Naming the Newborn, Hadith: 5467 and Sahih Muslim, Al-Adab, Chapter on the Recommendation of Giving Ghuttee to the Newborn, Hadith: 2145
Hazrat Anas bin Malik (RA) narrates:
كان ابن لأبي طلحة يشتكي فخرج أبو طلحة فقبض الصبي ، فلما رجع أبو طلحة ، قال : ما فعل ابني؟ قالت أم سليم: هو أسكن ما كان، فقربت إليه العشاء فتعشى ثم أصاب منها ، فلما فرغ قالت : واروا الصبي ، فلما أصبح أبو طلحة أتى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فأخبره فقال : أعرستم الليلة؟ قال : نعم قال: اللهم بارك لهما فولدت غلاما ، فقال لي أبو طلحة إحمله حتى تأتي به النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فأتى به النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم : وبعثت معه بتمرات، فأخذه النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال : أمعه شيء؟ قالوا : نعم، تمرات، فأخذها النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فمضغها، ثم أخذها من فيه، فجعلها فى في الصبي، ثم حنكه ، وسماه عبد الله
Hazrat Abu Talha (RA) had a small child who was ill. Abu Talha (RA) had gone out for some work when the child passed away. When he returned, he asked about his son's condition. His wife, Sayyida Umm Sulaym (RA), replied that he was now in a state of peace, comfort, and rest. (Abu Talha (RA) was unaware of the actual event.) Sayyida Umm Sulaym (RA) served him the evening meal, he ate, and at night he performed the conjugal duty with his wife. When they finished, his wife said to bury the child. Abu Talha (RA) went to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) early in the morning and informed him of the incident. The Prophet asked if they had intercourse during the night. He replied, "Yes." The Prophet prayed: "O Allah! Open the doors of blessings for both of them." (After some time) Umm Sulaym (RA) gave birth to a boy. Abu Talha (RA) said to me (Anas (RA)) to take the child to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and also send some dates along. When they reached the Prophet, he took the child and asked, "Did you bring anything?" They replied, "Yes, some dates." The Prophet took the dates, chewed them, then placed them in the child's mouth giving him ghuttee, and named him Abdullah.
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Al-Aqiqah, Chapter on Naming the Newborn, Hadith: 5470 and Sahih Muslim, Al-Adab, Chapter on the Recommendation of Giving Ghuttee to the Newborn, Hadith: 2144
✿ Incident of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him:
Khilal, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that Muhammad bin Ali, may Allah have mercy on him, heard from a slave woman of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, who was also the mother of Imam Ahmad's child. She said that when I started experiencing labor pains, my master, Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, was sleeping. I called out that I was in severe pain. He said that Allah will make it easy. Just as these words were coming from his mouth, I gave birth to Saeed. He said, "Bring the date that has come from Makkah." Then he told Umm Ali to chew it and give it to me to swallow, which she did.
Reference: Tuhfat al-Mawdud, p. 56
