What is an Aqeeqah (‫ﻴﻘﹶﺔﹲ‬‫ﻋﻘ‬ )?

What is an Aqeeqah (‫ﻴﻘﹶﺔﹲ‬‫ﻘ‬‫?)ﻋ‬

Aqeeqah ‫ﻴﻘﹶﺔﹲ‬‫ﻘ‬‫ ﻋ‬is the hair of a young one recently born that comes forth upon his or her
head in its mother’s belly of the human being. It is cut off on his or her 7th day. Also, the
plural of ‫ﻴ ﹶﻘ ﹲﺔ‬‫ﻘ‬‫ ﻋ‬and Aqeequn ‫ﻴﻖ‬‫ﻘ‬‫ ﻋ‬is Aqâ’iqu ‫ﻖ‬‫ﻘﹶﺎﺋ‬‫ﻋ‬: A law of the Sunnah requires
that the ‫ﻴﻘﹶﺔﹲ‬‫ﻘ‬‫ ﻋ‬of a infant should be weighed and its weight in sliver be given to the poor

when the hair has fallen from the young [by it’s being cut] the term ‫ﻴﻘﹶﺔﹲ‬‫ﻘ‬‫ ﻋ‬ceases to be
applied to it. But it occurs in a tradition applied to hair as being likened to the hair of a
recently born infant.
Hence, it is applied also to the sheep or goat that is slaughtered as a sacrifice for the
recently born infant on the occasion of the shaving of the infant’s hair on the 7th day after
his birth1
It is an emphasized Sunnah for every father the Messenger of Allah r, said: “Every child is
entitled to his Aqeeqah. It is slaughtered on his behalf on the 7th day of his birth and his head
should be shaved and he should be given a name.”2

On the day of the Aqeeqah it is recommended that two goats are slaughtered for a boy and
one goat for a girl. The evidence for this is that the Messenger of Allah r, slaughtered two
rams when Al-Hasan bin ‘Ali was born. The Messenger of Allah r, said “ Allah does not like
the breaking of ties (uquq).” And he said “If anyone has a child born to him and wishes to
offer a sacrifice on its behalf, he may offer two resembling sheep for a boy and one for a girl.” 3

1
Lexicon Dictionary Vol 5/ pg.2097
2
Recorded by Ahmad
3
Recorded by Abu Dawud and Ahmad

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1432-05-02/2011-04-05
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 What is an Aqeeqah (‫ﻴﻘﹶﺔﹲ‬‫ﻋﻘ‬ )?

It is also recommended to give the newborn a good name and to shave his or her head and
give charity with whatever it weighs of gold

The Prophet r, said: “ Every (newborn) boy is pawned by the Aqeeqah offered for him.”

Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in explaining this hadith said: “Pawned here means that (if he
dies as a baby) he can intercede with Allah in favor of his parents. Who offered on the
occasion of his birth.”

Imam Ibn-ul-Qayyim said: “A child grows up good-natured and well-mannered if Aqeeqah

is offered on the occasion of his or her birth”4

4
A Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence By: Dr. Saalih Al-Fawzan page.463-464

Compiled By DTSSBC
1432-05-02/2011-04-05
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