By Our Reporter
Aqiqah is the Islamic tradition of animal/ animals sacrifice after the occasion of child birth. It is a type of sadaqah done appreciating Allah’s gift to the couple “The Child.”
The animal slaughtered in such celebrations is usually a goat and the number varies depending on the gender of the child.
One goat is slaughtered for a female baby while two goats are slaughtered for the male baby. Some Islamic scholars say that it is permissible to slaughter a sheep/ sheep Incase the parents don’t have a goat. Some also teach that if parents have seven girls and can afford one cow, then they are good to go or three boys and one girl can be slaughtered for a cow. That animal should be free of defects and be of the right age.
The slaughter is advisable to be done on the seventh day after the child’s birth, 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 meat of the slaughtered animal must be shared amongst the relatives and the poor.
Many families start Aqiqah after the dhuhur prayer. The most learned scholar amongst the crowd leads with teachings from the Quran and Hadith about the occasion. This is followed by Quran recitation and prayer for the baby.
The celebration is concluded with a feast of the slaughtered animal with some food.
The aqiqah is not obligatory at all in Islam therefore, there is no sin on the one who does not do it. It is however advisable for the protection of the child from the devil.
