Aqiqah is a Muslim religious practice performed once in a lifetime. It is done by someone other than the parents for a newborn baby.
Usually it is performed by an aunt or grandfather.
It also can be done overseas with the same intention. It is a Muslim ritual that encourages a person to seek knowledge.
What is Aqiqah?
Aqiqah is the Islamic ritual performed after a newborn child’s birth. It is a way to express gratitude and invoke Allah (swt)’s blessing for the new born child and family.
Usually, Aqiqah takes place on the seventh day after a baby’s birth but it is sometimes performed later. The sacrificial sacrifice of an animal is the heart of the Aqiqah ceremony and one-third of its meat is given away in charity.
Muslim families host the Aqiqah ceremony to celebrate the arrival of their newborn and to give thanks to God for giving them a new child. They also invite neighbors, relatives and friends to participate in the celebrations.
In the Aqiqah tradition, Muslims are encouraged to shave their child’s hair. They are then encouraged to donate the weight of the shaved hair in silver to poor families.
What is the Difference Between Aqiqah & Qurban?
Aqiqah is an act of worship carried out to celebrate the birth of a child. It is a highly recommended act to perform for new borns as it symbolizes syukur (gratefulness) and gratitude to Allah SWT, the One Almighty.
Aqiqah consists of slaughtering two goats for boys and one goat for girls, which are sacrificed on the seventh day after a baby is born. This is the preferred time to perform aqiqah, however, (kambing aqiqah shah alam)it may be performed on any day or after every seventh days after the child has been born.
Qurban is another form of worship related to the slaughter of livestock. It is a tradition that occurs during Aidiladha, and it has great significance.
It is a Sunnah Muakkadah that should not be missed. It can be done from infancy to adulthood and it is encouraged to distribute meat to the poor, if possible, during the ritual. It is also a Sunnah that the person performing the ritual consumes a portion of the meat and donates the rest to charity.
What are the Benefits of Implementing Aqiqah?
Aqiqah is a very important sunnah that is highly encouraged by Islam. It is performed by the parents or the guardians of a newborn baby.
The purpose of aqiqah is to announce the birth of the child, to thank Almighty Allah, and to invite family members, neighbours and friends. It is also a good practice to include the poor on this occasion, by offering them money and food.
However, there are many conditions that must be met for aqiqah to be done properly. For example, the animals that are sacrificed must be goats, sheep, cows or camels and they must be healthy.
Islamic Response USA has the capacity to provide you with an animal that will be slaughtered at a convenient time for you, so you can get your aqiqah done without delay and at a price that is affordable to you. You can choose to have the meat packaged into a packet that will be distributed directly to people in need, or you can have it delivered to your door so that you can donate it to the poor yourself.
How to Implement Aqiqah?
The sacrificial ritual is called Aqiqah and it’s performed as part of the sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). It involves the sacrifice of livestock, usually goats or sheep.
The animals used for Aqiqah should be healthy and free from any defects. Goats and sheep must be at least two years old while cows and camels should be at least six years.
They must be slaughtered in a humane way and any skin and other by-products should be given to charity. Generally, Aqiqah service providers will tell you the value of these products and you can choose whether to give them to the butcher or slaughterer who performs the sacrifice on your behalf or to a charity of your choice directly.
It’s also recommended that you make the most of your Aqiqah by donating it to the poorest of the poor. Islamic Relief’s Aqiqah project allows you to do just that by distributing meat packets to the most vulnerable people in your community.
