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.

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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.

 

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.

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The Prophet (saw) said, ‘The best Qurbani is the one which is expensive in price and is very fat’. [Ahmad]

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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.

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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.

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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.