It is a Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that when a baby is born the parents should perform Aqeeqah for the child by slaughtering two goats or sheep for a boy and one sheep or goat for a girl.
For a baby girl, one animal is sacrificed. The sacrifice is then divided between the family members who are carrying out the sacrifice. It's then handed out to the poor and needy. For family and friends, a party it's often arranged to celebrate and share the meat.
Ideally, Aqiqah should be performed seven days after the birth, with two small animals sacrificed for a boy and one for a girl.
An Aqiqah for a boy involves the sacrifice of two sheep/goats. An Aqiqah for a girl involves the sacrifice of one sheep/goat.
It is recommended to shave your baby's hair as a symbol of purification. The cut hair should then be weighed and its equivalent value in silver should be given as Sadaqah to the poor. The sacrifice should be done after the hair is shaved or at the same time but not before.
Usually, the term aqiqah refers to this sacrifice. The meat from the sacrifice is divided three ways: one-third for the family, one-third for neighbors, and the final third for the poor.
Although the Aqiqah is not obligatory, it contains many benefits and Muslim parents who have means are encouraged to perform it.
According to another hadith from Ja'far al-Sadiq, every born is in pawn of aqiqah; namely it would be exposed to death/kinds of calamities if they don't do aqiqah for the child. It is Sunnah for the parents to eat from the meat of aqiqah.
It is permissible for the parents to eat from the 'aqeeqah, because 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said concerning the 'aqeeqah: “It should be divided into portions (judool), some of which should be eaten and some given to others.” Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf, 5.
The parents of the child are allowed to eat the meats. They must not eat the meats by themselves alone however.
This is what is required when dealing with daughters: kindness, which results in Paradise, as the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, said: “Whoever Allah has given two daughters and is kind towards them, will have them as a reason for him to be admitted into Paradise.” And: “Whoever Allah has given three daughters ...
Aqiqah is an Islamic ritual performed upon the birth of a child. This ceremony expresses thankfulness to Allah S.W.T for blessing the family with offspring. In addition, the Aqiqah celebration is a Sunnah where the meat from the sacrificed animal is shared with family, friends and deprived members of the community.
The act of aqiqah is the responsibility of the child's guardian (typically parents). If the parents have passed away (prior to being able to perform aqiqah for their child), then the responsibility falls to the grandfather, an uncle or guardian of the child to do so.
According to the above discussion and evidences, the age for a normal goat to be slaughtered for aqiqah or sacrifice should be two years old going to three years old. In our opinion, it may be due to the fact that the characteristic and type of sheep grow faster than normal goats.
It usually takes place on the seventh day after a baby's birth.
Qurban can be done every year. Aqiqah is done once in a life time.
AQIQAH. A sheep is offered in sacrifice for every newborn child as a sign of gratitude to Allah. This is usually performed on the seventh day, and the meat is distributed among family members and the poor.
At the birth of a child, the Aqiqah (Akika) is performed as part of the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and is a virtuous act in Islam . It involves the sacrifice of livestock, such as goats and sheep. It usually takes place on the seventh day after a baby's birth.
In al-Muwatta (2/603), Malik reported that Ibn 'Umar said: “There is no breastfeeding except for the one who is breastfed in infancy; there is no breastfeeding for one who is grown up.” Its isnad is sahih.
If slaughtered/harvested properly, beef, lamb, goat, venison, bison, chicken, turkey, fish and shellfish can be halal meats. Pork and alcohol are considered haram (forbidden). To warrant a USDA Halal label, products must be prepared by federally inspected packing plans and must be handled according to Islamic law.
Aqeeqah Mubarak!-
A simple yet contemporary Aqeeqah card with the following text : "May the Almighty bless your child with good health & a strong emaan - Ameen".
Aqiqah is one of the ways of showing those thanks. It acknowledges the gift we have received from Allah and expresses our gratitude to Him; it purifies the child and brings them closer to God at the start of their lives, and it gives us cause for celebration not only with family and friends but the poor and needy.
A sheep or a goat may be offered in sacrifice to mark the occasion. The shaved hair from the baby is weighed and the equivalent weight in silver or gold is given to charity. Once a child has been purified by Aqiqah, he or she should try to stay faithful to Allah and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad .
The Aqiqah is a ceremony on the 7th day. The baby's hair is shaved off and weighed when they are 7 days old. The equivalent cost in gold is given to the poor. The family enjoy a special meal and give any leftover meat to the poor because they recognise how lucky they are and want to help others.