From Dr Abd Al-Razzaq Hussein's Islam And Children Adapted by Sumayyah Bint Joan There are very few things in life which produce as much joy and ex- citement, along with equally as much fear and anxiety, as the news of the arrival of your first child. With this news, couples happily begin to contemplate their new baby's sex, start picking out names, and the spare room that used to be the den is quickly transformed with gallons of blue or pink paint and all things cute and cuddly. During this time, couples reassess their lives and try to answer what they feel are the most relevant questions: Will the mother keep working after the baby is born? Will she breastfeed or use a bottle? Is there enough savings to adequately provide for another person? The questions that very few of us ask however, are often the most compelling. What rights does this child have on us as parents? What responsibilities has Allah placed on us by putting this child in our care? These are all questions that we as Muslim parents, or parents-to-be, must not only ask ourselves, but we must also be thoroughly familiar with the answers, if we are to rear a generation of Muslims who are better than ourselves. One might ask where and when does a child's rights begin? Well, according to the Prophet, sallallaahu alaye wa sallam, it begins before the beginning. The Prophet cautioned us and called upon us to be careful in our choice for spouses. He is reported to have said, "Make a good choice for (your) spouse, for blood will tell." (Ibn Majah) This highlights the effect of heredity on the infant. It is therefore the right of the child to have parents who are loving and of noble and righteous character. After conception, the rights that Allah has prescribed for unborn children, in the Islamic Law, then take effect.