Harun, Mohammad Amir Wan and Abdullah, A. and Mohamad, A.M. and Baharuddin, A.S.
(2021)
Honey-borne infant botulism in tahnik practice: an explanation of the risk and
its solutions.
Food Research, 5 (3).
pp. 431-437.
ISSN 2550-2166
Abstract
Tahnik is a primarily Islamic practice wherein a newborn’s palate is daubed with dates or
honey. However, feeding honey to an infant has been associated with numerous infant
botulism cases. This situation has raised the question of how a religious practice could
lead to such a severe health risk? The objectives of the study were to investigate: a reliable
method of performing tahnik; the original proposition of using honey in tahnik; and the
efficacy of using ingredients other than dates in tahnik. Semi-structured interviews and
armchair research methods were utilised to gain data from three Islamic scholars. Other
resources were also consulted, including the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Food Composition Database and various Islamic Literary Manuscripts. The
findings indicated that the use of honey in tahnik did not originate within Islamic
jurisprudence. Therefore, it should not be associated with the Prophet's Sunnah. When
dates are not available for tahnik practice, then raisins, figs, pomegranates, grapes, or
other sweet fruits can be used as a replacement rather than honey.
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