We have recently been blessed with a baby girl and I am being told to perform an ‘Aqiqah. What is an “‘Aqiqah”?

Published on: March 3, 2018

The Answer;

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

The literal meaning of the word, ‘‘Aqiqah’ is derived from ‘Aqun, which means to cut or to separate. (Mirat, vol. 6, pp. 2)

The Shar’i word of an animal slaughtered in gratitude for the birth of a child, is “‘Aqiqah”. (Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 3, pp. 355)

With the intention of acting upon Sunnah and pleasing Allah(swt), one should perform ‘Aqiqah to express gratitude for the favour he has received on the happy occasion of the birth of his child. No reward is granted without a good intention. Though the ‘Aqiqah-performing person usually has the intention of ‘Aqiqah in his heart, the more intentions he makes the more reward he will get. The beloved Prophet(saw) has said: ‘The intention of a Muslim is better than his deed’. (Al-Mu’jam-ul-Kabir li Tabarani, vol. 6, pp. 185, Hadith 5942)

And Allah(swt) alone knows best.