Is There Baptism in Islam?

Answered by Ustadh Zaynab Ansari

Question: Is there a baptism in Islam? Was being baptized ever done in Islam?

Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Assalamu alaikum,

Thank you for your question.

There is no baptism in Islam in the sense that it exists in the Christian tradition.

There are, however, practices that welcome the baby into the community of believers, including the calling of the adhan (call to prayer) and iqama (reminder to stand up to pray) in the ear of the newborn and the aqiqa celebration in which the community gathers to celebrate the birth of the infant and pray for him or her.

Adults who embrace Islam are required to state the testification of faith (“There is no god but God and Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the messenger of God”) in front of witnesses. Often, they will take a Muslim name, although this is not required.

May Allah reward you,

Zaynab Ansari

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