AQIQAH

Aqiqah – celebrate the birth of your child

Syed Ahmed Shah Trust’s aqiqah pack comprises the sacrifice of one sheep or goat (for girl) or two sheep or goats(for boy). Aqiqah animals and meat distributed to the poor and orphans. £10 also is given in sadaqah to the poor, at the market price of silver, this easily covers the value equal to the weight in silver of your child’s hair.

What is Aqiqah?

Aqiqah, an Islamic terminology, is defined as the animal that is slaughtered on the occasion of child birth. For the child there should be aqiqah, on behalf of the child make sacrifice and remove the hair. Hadith (Bukhari)

When should Aqiqah be performed?

The preferable method for Aqiqah is that it should be preformed on the seventh day if not then the 14th or 21st and so on. Some scholars have said that this can be carried on till the child has become mature and say Aqiqah can be performed then. However after this period performing Aqiqah is irrelevant. Some scholars given the Fatwa that Aqiqah is valid till the day of ones death. If someone after becoming an adult performs his own Aqiqah, according to some scholars it is not valid but according to some scholars it’s permissible as it is also understood form Fadhul Bari.

What is the purpose of Aqiqah?

The performance of Aqiqah is highly encouraged. It is to be performed by the parents or the guardians of the child. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions used to perform Aqiqah when they were bestowed with a newborn. There are many benefits in the performance of Aqiqah. One is the announcing the birth of the baby. Being bestowed a child is a great blessing from the Creator. Another purpose is inviting family members, neighbors, and friends to celebrate the blessed occasion. The poor should be included in the celebration by offering them food and meat served on this occasion.

Types of animals to be slaughtered

The following is a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) where he advised Aqiqah a goat/sheep.

Narrated Umm Kurz: The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Two sheep which resemble each other are to be sacrificed for a boy and one for a girl. (Sunan Abu Dawood Book 15, No. 2830)

The condition of the animal for Aqiqah

The condition of the animals in Aqiqah is the same as the conditions for the animals in Qurbani. The animals to be slaughtered must be a goats, cows or camels. For camels, it must be older than 6 years, for cows the age must be older than 3 years and for goats, it must be older than 2 years. They must be free from any form of handicap such as blind, sick, limp and undernourished. The animals must be slaughtered in the appropriate humane ways.

Celebrate the birth of your newborn and share the joy with your needy brothers and sisters through the Islamic Aid’s Aqeeqah Service.

The Aqiqah Pack

The Syed Ahmed Shah Trust Aqiqah Pack encompasses all these aspects and includes: The sacrifice of one or two Aqiqah animals (depending on sex “boy or a girl”) distributed to the poor and needy, including orphans and the elderly. The value equal to the weight in silver of your child’s hair distributed to the needy as sadaqah.