and Qatādah. Those who prohibited smearing with blood—such as Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, Ahmad, and Ishāq—said: “The wording ‘his head is smeared with blood’ is a mistake; the correct wording is ‘he is named.’” They said that this was a practice of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance which Islam abolished, as demonstrated by the report narrated by Abū Dāwūd (1) from Buraydah ibn al-Husayb, who said:

“In pre-Islamic times, when a boy was born to one of us, he would slaughter a sheep and smear the boy’s head with its blood. When Allah brought Islam, we would slaughter a sheep, shave the boy’s head, and smear it with saffron.”

They said: Although this report’s chain of transmission includes al-Husayn ibn Wāqid (2), whose reports cannot be relied upon as proof, when it is considered alongside the Prophet’s instruction, “Remove the harm from him” (3)—and blood is a form of harm—how could he command them to smear him with something harmful?

They said: It is well known that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, offered two rams as ‘aqīqah sacrifices for al-Hasan and al-Husayn (4), without smearing either of them with blood. Nor was this his practice or that of his Companions.

They said: How could rendering a newborn’s head ritually impure be part of his sunnah? Where is there any supporting instance or parallel for this in his sunnah? Such a practice befits only the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance.