Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:
assalamualaikum
1)can u please tell me the complete procedure of aqeeqah of a girl or boy and
can it be done wid
abiha of a cow
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Answer:
Aqiqa with cow
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
The Aqiqa sacrifice is not obligatory or ‘fard’ in Islam; but rather it is a preferred Sunnah and voluntary. If one does offer this sacrifice as a form of gratitude to his Merciful Creator for the gift of the child which The Lord Most Gracious has bestowed upon them, there is a huge reward, and if one does not offer it for any reason, there is no sin.
The Aqiqa is the responsibility of the parents/guardians of the new-born, and if the parents/guardians of the new-born did not perform the Aqiqa sacrifice for their new-born in their infancy for any reason whatsoever, there is no compulsion or need for the child to offer this sacrifice later or when he grows up.
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2832 Narrated by Samurah ibn Jundub
The Prophet (saws) said: ‘A child is in pledge for his ‘Aqiqah’, sacrifice is made for it on the seventh day, its head is shaved, and it is given a name.’
It is Sunnah to offer the Aqiqa sacrifice on the 7th day of the birth of the child; but if for any reason one is unable to offer it on the 7th day and wishes to offer it later, it is expected that his sacrifice will be accepted by the Lord Most Merciful.
When offering an ‘aqiqah’ sacrifice, the Sunnah or practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was always to slaughter sheep. Cattle (cows, etc.) and camels were normally slaughtered as a rite during pilgrimage. There is absolutely no example in the authentic and established traditions of the Messenger of Allah (saws) or his noble companions slaughtering cattle or camels for ‘aqiqah’ sacrifice; their practice was always to slaughter the prescribed number of sheep during ‘aqiqah’; at least two sheep for a new-born baby boy, and one sheep for a new-born baby girl.
Thus, if you wish to offer the ‘aqiqah’ sacrifice as a sign of gratefulness to Allah Subhanah for His gift of a child, it is best to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and sacrifice the prescribed number of sheep for each child…..but if for any reason one wishes to offer a cow or a camel as the ‘aqiqah’ sacrifice, the majority of the scholars are of the opinion that there is no harm.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and well wisher in Islam,
Burhan