Aqiqah

`Aqīqah (Arabic: ‫)ﻋﻘﻴﻘﺔ‬, aqeeqa, or

aqeeqah is the Islamic tradition of the
sacrifice of an animal on the occasion of a
child's birth. It is widely performed by
Muslims and it is considered sunnah to
slaughter a sheep for the baby and
distribute the meat to the poor. Muslims
also prepare a feast for family and friends
in celebration for being blessed with a
child. Aqiqah is a sunnat al mu'akkadah
(confirmed sunnah). If the guardian of the
child is capable of slaughtering a sheep
for the child, they should do it. Muhammad
said : “A baby is being pledged for his
aqiqah, sacrifice is made for him on the
seventh day, his head is shaved, and a
name is given him". 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 it, or the one who delays it
and does not do it at the time that is
mustahabb, although he misses out on the
virtue and reward of that. (He may
postpone it) until he is able to do it, or he
may take it out[1][2] Ja'far al-Sadiq, a great
grandchild of Muhammad and prominent
scholar in his era, claimed that ideally the
shaving, slaughtering for aqiqah, and
naming of the child should be done within
one hour.[3] Additionally, Imam Ja'far al-
Sadiq replied in response to a question
about "Is almsgiving (equal to the price of
aqeegah) would be sufficient instead of
aqeeqah" that: No, it wouldn't be sufficient;
Allah likes giving food and
slaughtering.[4][5]
Benefits
Aqiqah is a type of sadaqah and it is also
sunnah.[6] According to another hadith
from Ja'far al-Sadiq, every born is in pawn
of aqeeqah; namely it would be exposed to
death/kinds of calamities if they don't do
aqeeqah for the child.[7] It is forbidden for
the birthing mother to eat from the meat of
aqiqah[3].

Islamic Historical Usage

Abu Talib 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[3]."

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[3]. 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[3].
See also
Sacrifice in Islam
Dhabihah

References
1. The sacred meadows : a structural
analysis of religious symbolism in an East
African town / by Abdul Hamid M. el Zein.
2. 'Raise your voices and kill your animals' :
Islamic discourses on the Idd el-Hajj and
sacrifices in Tanga (Tanzania) :
authoritative texts, ritual practices and
social identities / by Gerard C. van de
Bruinhorst full text
3. al-Kulayni, Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub
(2015). Al-Kafi (Volume 6 ed.). NY: Islamic
Seminary Incorporated.
ISBN 9780991430864.
4. The rulings (Ahkams) of Aqeeqah
eporsesh.com Retrieved 26 June 2018
5. Is aqeeqah obligatory to Mustahab
(recommended)? yjc.ir Retrieved 26 June
2018
6. Sunan al-Tirmidhi, hadith #1522–1524
7. Aghighah and its rulings islamquest.net
Retrieved 26 June 2018

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