The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Every child is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) and his parents convert him to Judaism or Christianity or Magianism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?"
The Natural Disposition (Al-Fitrah)
This hadith establishes the foundational Islamic doctrine of fitrah - the innate primordial nature with which Allah creates every human being. This natural disposition inclines toward tawhid (monotheism) and submission to the Divine Will.
The comparison to a newborn animal emphasizes the perfection and purity of this original state, free from the corruption that external influences may later introduce.
Parental Influence and Religious Deviation
The Prophet (ﷺ) identifies parents as the primary agents who may divert children from their natural monotheistic disposition toward Judaism, Christianity, or Magianism (Zoroastrianism).
This highlights the tremendous responsibility of Muslim parents to nurture and preserve their children's fitrah through proper Islamic upbringing and education.
Rhetorical Question as Proof
The final question "Do you find it mutilated?" serves as a powerful rhetorical device. Just as animals give birth to complete, unmutilated offspring, so too are human souls created complete in their natural submission to Allah.
This establishes that religious deviation is an acquired characteristic, not an inherent one, affirming the justice of divine accountability.
Scholarly Commentary References
This narration appears in Sahih al-Bukhari 1385 under the chapter "Funerals (Al-Janaa'iz)" and is considered among the most authentic hadith collections in Islam.
Classical commentators like Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and Al-Nawawi extensively discussed the implications of this hadith for Islamic theology, child-rearing, and interfaith dialogue.