What is aqiqah in muslim religion?
ʾAqīqah (Arabic: عقيقة), aqeeqa, or aqeeqah is the Islamic tradition of the sacrifice of an animal on the occasion of a child's birth. Aqiqah is a type of sadaqah and it is also sunnah, though not obligatory.
According to hadith and the majority of Islamic scholars, two goats are sacrificed for a boy and one for a girl.
If one cannot slaughter on the seventh day, someone may slaughter on the fourteenth day or on the twenty-first day. If one is not capable of doing so, then a person may slaughter any time before the puberty of the child. The aqiqah is sunnah and mustahabb; it is not obligatory at all, so there is no sin on the one who does not do it.
According to a hadith in Muwatta Imam Malik, Fatima donated, in silver equivalent, the shaved-hair weight of her children Hasan, Husayn, Umm Kulthum and Zaynab.
Ja'far al-Sadiq, a great grandchild of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a prominent scholar in his era, claimed that the shaving, slaughtering for aqiqah, and naming of the child should, ideally, be done within one hour.
Additionally, Ja'far al-Sadiq replied in response to a question: "'Would almsgiving (equal to the price of aqiqah) be sufficient instead of aqiqah?'" with the answer that: 'No, it wouldn't be sufficient; Allah likes giving food and submission to his will.'"
According to another hadith from Ja'far al-Sadiq, every born is in pawn of aqiqah; namely it would be exposed to death/kinds of calamities if they don't do aqiqah for the child. It is Sunnah for the parents to eat from the meat of aqiqah.
Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib performed aqiqah for Muhammad on the seventh day of his birth and invited members of his family for the occasion, who asked "what is this?" to which he replied "aqiqah for Ahmad". He claimed to have named him Ahmad "because of the praises of the inhabitants of the skies and the Earth for him".
Muhammad is said to have performed aqiqah for both Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali, his grandsons, on the seventh day of their births respectively by sacrificing one sheep each; the leg of which was given to the nurse that helped with the delivery. Anointing the baby with the blood of the sacrificed animal for aqiqah was a common practice among Arab pagans and was therefore prohibited in Islam.
The Shafiʿi madhdhab, allows for an aqiqah practice after the death of a child. This is also the school of law that emphasizes the child’s potential for shafaʿa (intercession). Two prominent representatives of the Shafiʿi madhhab who defend this idea of a deceased child as heavenly intercessor are alSuyuti (ca. 1445–1505) and al-Ghazzali (ca. 1058-1111).
The tradition of animal sacrifice and weighing the first haircut against gold or silver for charity appear to have their origins in pre-Islamic Arabia.
- First, the child's head is shaved. Typically, the cutting of hair symbolizes a new spiritual status in a number of cultures and religions.
- Second, there is the formal naming of the child.
- Finally, a goat or sheep sacrificed.
Aqiqah is a religious ritual performed by Muslims when a child is born. It involves the sacrifice of an animal and the distribution of meat to the poor as a way of celebrating new life and showing gratitude to Allah (swt) for His blessings.
In this article, we answer your most frequently asked questions about Aqiqah so you can be well prepared when welcoming your new-born into the world.
Is Aqiqah obligatory?
Although it is not obligatory to perform Aqiqah, it is a highly recommended Sunnah that the Prophet (saw) and his Companions used to perform. The Prophet (saw) performed Aqiqah for the births of Al-Hasan and Al-Husain, his grandsons.
Why should we perform Aqiqah?
Aqiqah is a means of expressing gratitude to Allah for the blessing of having a child. It is also a means of protecting the child from Shaytan and warding off illness.
Scholars have also mentioned that Aqiqah brings a child closer to Allah and serves as a reminder to the parents that their children have rights over them in Islam. Who should perform Aqiqah?
Aqiqah is performed by the parents or guardians of the newborn child. According to the majority of scholars, every adult Muslim who is eligible to pay Zakat or has enough money to perform Aqiqah should do so. A small animal (sheep or goat) counts as one Aqiqah.
When should Aqiqah be performed?
It is Sunnah to perform Aqiqah on the seventh day of the baby’s birth or if not the seventh day, any subsequent seventh day onwards (14th, 21st etc.). According to scholars, one can perform Aqiqah until the child has become mature.
Some scholars have given the Fatwa that Aqiqah is legitimate up until death and an adult can perform the Aqiqah for himself/herself if it was not done when he/she was a baby.
How many Aqiqah animals should be sacrificed?
Two animals should be sacrificed for the birth of a boy and one animal for a girl. However, there is no limit to how many animals you can offer.
Aishah (ra) reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, ‘Slaughter for a boy two compatible sheep and for a girl, just one. It does not matter whether the sheep are male or female'.
What type of animal should be offered for Aqiqah?
When offering Aqiqah, the same rules apply as Qurbani. Animals must be of a certain age and eligibility. For lambs, this is minimum 6 months and for goats, 12 months. The animals should also be healthy with no defects like broken horns or teeth. It is recommended to offer the best animal you can find.
The Prophet (saw) said, ‘The best Qurbani is the one which is expensive in price and is very fat’.
How should Aqiqah be performed?
When offering Aqiqah, the slaughterman should make an intention for Aqiqah on behalf of the baby and parents and recite the following du’a:
For a boy:
In the name of God and through God, this is the Aqiqah of…. (name of the boy), son of …. (name of the father): its flesh (i.e., the flesh of the sacrifice of the Aqiqah) for his flesh blood, its bone for his bone, its hair for his hair, its skin for his skin. O God, let it be a protection of the family of Muhammad (saw)and his family.
For a girl:
In the Name of God and through God, this is the Aqiqah of…..(name of the girl), daughter of …. (name of the father): its flesh for her flesh, its blood for her blood, its bones for her bones, its hair for her hair, its skin for her skin. O God, let it be a protection of the family of Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family.
Do I have to shave my baby’s hair for Aqiqah?
It is recommended to shave your baby’s hair as a symbol of purification. The cut hair should then be weighed and its equivalent value in silver should be given as Sadaqah to the poor. The sacrifice should be done after the hair is shaved or at the same time but not before.
How should Aqiqah meat be distributed?
Just like Qurbani, it is Sunnah to divide the meat into three parts – one part for your family, one part for relatives and friends and one part to be distributed to the poor.
It is also customary to hold a walimah (banquet) and invite family and friends to eat from the meat to celebrate the birth of the child.
Can I give Saqadah instead of performing Aqiqah?
Aqiqah is its own ibadah (act of worship) that cannot be substituted. Therefore, you cannot just give an equal amount in charity instead of performing the Aqiqah. However, you can order your Aqiqah from Muslim Hands, and a certified butcher will carry out the sacrifice and distribute the meat to the poor on your behalf.
When you order your Aqiqah with Muslim Hands, we will also send you an Aqiqah pack that includes a recommended book on parenting in Islam, as well as Sadaqah to cover the weight of a child’s hair (£10 at current silver prices). You will also receive feedback images of the Aqiqah after it has been completed.
We hope we answered all your questions but if you need any more information you may contact our donor care team on 0115 911 7222 and they will be happy to assist you.
'Aqiqah refers to the sacrifice that is offered on behalf of the newborn on the seventh day after birth. 'Aqiqah was known among the Arabs during the Jahiliyyah. Al-Mawardi said: 'Aqiqah refers to a sheep that is slaughtered on the occasion of the birth; it was a custom practised by the Arabs before Islam. (Al-Hawi al-Kabir, 15/126 )
There are sahih ahadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which prove that 'aqiqah is prescribed in Islam , such as the following:
1 –Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: During the Jahiliyyah, if a boy was born to one of us, we would slaughter a sheep and smear his head with its blood. When Allah brought Islam, we would slaughter a sheep and shave (the child’s) head and smear it with saffron. (Narrated by Abu Dawud, 2843; classed as sahih by Shaykh al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud)
Saffron is a type of perfume.
2 –Salman ibn ‘Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “For a boy there should be ‘aqiqah so shed blood for him and remove the dirt from him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 5154)
It is prescribed to slaughter two sheep for a newborn boy and one sheep for a girl, as is indicated by the sahih evidence, such as the following:
1 –Umm Karaz narrated that she asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about ‘aqiqah, and he said: “For a boy, two sheep, and for a female one sheep, and it does not matter if it is male or female.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1516, who said this is a sahih hasan hadith; and by al-Nasai, 4217; classed as sahih by Shaykh al-Albani in Irwa al-Ghalil, 4/391)
2 – ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded them (to slaughter) two sheep of similar type for a boy and one sheep for a girl. (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1513, who said it is hasan sahih; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi)
These ahadith clearly show that there is a difference between male and female with regard to ‘aqiqah.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) explained this difference between male and female as follows:
“This is a principle of Shari’ah, for Allah differentiates between male and female, and gives the female half the share of the male in terms of inheritance, diyah, testimony, freeing slaves and ‘aqiqah, as was narrated by al-Tirmidhi in a hadith which he classed as sahih from Umamah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: “Any Muslim who frees a Muslim, he will be his ransom from the Fire, and each of (the slave’s) limbs will suffice for his limbs. Any Muslim man who sets free two Muslim women, they will be his ransom from the Fire, and each of their limbs will suffice for his limbs.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1547)
This differentiation with regard to ‘aqiqah would apply even if there was no clear sunnah concerning the matter, so how about when the Sunnah is clearly established and shows that there is this differentiation?” (Tuhfat al-Mawdud, p. 53, 54)
Ibn al-Qayyim also said:
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has favoured the male over the female, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And the male is not like the female”
This differentiation is reflected in Islamic rulings, whereby the male is regarded as equivalent to two females in terms of testimony, inheritance and blood money (diyah), and ‘aqiqah also comes under these rulings.” (Zad al-Ma’ad, 2/331)
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Among the benefits of ‘aqiqah is that it is a sacrifice that is offered on behalf of the newborn when he first emerges into this world.
Another benefit is that it “releases” the newborn, for he is held in pledge for his ‘aqiqah so that he may intercede for his parents.
Another benefit is that it is a ransom that is paid for the newborn just as Allah, may He be exalted, ransomed Isma’il with the ram.” (Tuhfat al-Mawdud, p. 69)
The best time for offering the ‘aqiqah is seven days after birth, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Every child is held in pledge for his ‘aqiqah, which should be slaughtered on his behalf on the seventh day, and he should be shaved and given his name.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud, 2838; classed as sahih by Shaykh al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud)
If it is delayed until after the seventh day, there is no sin, and it should be offered when the Muslim is able to do that.
An Aqiqah usually takes place on the seventh day after a baby's birth, but is sometimes performed later on. An Aqiqah ceremony is a celebration where the meat from the sacrificed animal is cooked and shared with family, friends and members of the community who are in need.
When a child is born, it is a Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to sacrifice livestock and distribute the meat among friends and relatives and to needy community members.
This is called Aqiqah and is a virtuous act in Islam.
In the pre-Islamic period, this was known among the Arabs, and when Islam came, it transformed this custom into a ritual for approaching God.
The Prophet (PBUH) practiced this from Al-Hassan, and Al-Hussein is “two rams,”.
From here on, it became a confirmed Sunnah.
The rules for performing an Aqiqah for baby boys are different from those for girls. For boys, the following rules apply:
The rules of aqiqah for a girl are the same as for a male, with the difference that only 1 sacrifice is sufficient
An aqiqah ceremony is a Muslim tradition that celebrates the birth of a child. It is usually done on the seventh day after the baby’s birth. The ceremony starts with an animal sacrifice and ends with a feast for all family members and friends.
The animal sacrifice at an aqiqah ceremony is traditionally done by cutting the throat of a lamb or goat and letting it bleed out, but some people use other animals instead, such as cows or Camel
Two animals were to be sacrificed for the birth of a boy, and one animal for a girl.
However, there is no limit to how many animals you can sacrifice.
Aisha (RA) reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) said’
When offering Aqiqah, the same rules apply to Qurbani.
Animals must be of a certain age and eligibility.
For lambs, this is a minimum of 6 months and for goats, 12 months.
The animals should also be healthy with no defects like broken horns or teeth.
It is recommended to offer the best animal you can find.
You can Donate Qurbani online
The Aqiqah is a Sunnah for the child’s guardian if he is able.
If it is a son, two sheep are sacrificed, and if it is a girl, a single sheep.
The sacrifice is made seven days after the child’s birth, and the child’s head is shaved.
Samra bin Jundub RA reported that the Prophet (P.B.U.H) said, “A boy is pledged by his ‘Aqiqah, so slaughter for him on the seventh day, and do it in the name of Allah” (Transmitted by Al Tirmidhi and Abu Dawoud).
If it is not done on the seventh day, it should be done on the fourteenth day.
If it is not done on the fourteenth day, it should be done on the twenty-first day.
If it is delayed, then it is Sunnah for his guardian to sacrifice for him before he reaches puberty, and if he reaches puberty and no one has made an ‘Aqiqah for him, then he should do it himself.
You can search the Islamic associations in your area, and they can help you find the needy in your area, or they can give it to them directly.
