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Aqeekah for newborns

Started by kay007, April 27, 2011, 07:59:45 AM

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kay007

Salam Brothers and Sisters,

I recently had a baby boy and as usual (as always around here) everybody is asking when I will hold the Aqeekah ceremony.  For those of you who don't know, Aqeekah is the ritual for newborns (boys and girls), where a sheep/goat/cow is slaughtered and distributed to the poor and needy.  Since I've been reading free-minds for quite some time now, I can't help but ask : Is this ritual or any aspect of it permissible according to the Quran?  There's chanting,hair cutting, gold/silver, feasting and slaughtering and I need to know whether all this is some old arab/semetic tradition or is there some basis in the Quran.

I would really appreciate some help here.
Peace..

Paradox Uncreated

I have never even heard of it.
Paradox Void is the infinitely superior.

Paradox Void is an attribute of God, or any other entity it should point to, which is the same entity.
Designer of all dimensions. Former of forms, shaper of shapes. According to truth.
Peace.

savage_carrot

It's a cultural tradition, at least in Pakistan. You don't have to do it if you're uncomfortable with it, or you could change some things around to suit you or something.

Peace.
God has a plan, Gaius. He has a plan for everything and everyone.

san


Well, a neighbor family just had it last friday, and they gave me what we call "nasi berkat" here (boxed rice, something like this) complete with goat's meat curry and as a recipient i can't say that i'm against this tradition/culture, practically speaking  :eat:. (i bet the poor and needy's opinion will be similar to mine). As suggested above, maybe you can cut on the traditional 'excess' and just take the essentials or whatever is best for your family.

Don't take it too seriously regarding it being ritualistic or whatever. Just an exercise of free-will i guess. Congrats on your baby boy :)



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BornAgain

Salaam,

Aqiqah, as far as I understand it, has no Qur'anic basis (though you find find such commandment in the Old Testament) and it is more a traditional/cultural thing. As long as you practice such tradition without thinking that God commands us to do so, it should be okay. Besides, if you use the meat to feed the poor and needy (instead of having a feast of indulgence to show off), then you'll be doing a righteous deed. Hope that helps.
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SarahY

Everyone has a culture and there is no wrong in that.

Not sure about the chanting stuff but having a get together celebrating, donating/charity, cutting hair is no big deal.

The Quran is a guidance it?s open to different cultures. There?s no recommendations to do such rituals from the Quran.




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Follow your heart but take your brain with you.
ambiguity is there for a reason, why do you think?
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Indelwyn

I too recently had a son Adam (1-11-11) and we have not had his Aqeekah, because we can't afford the 2 sheep to slaughter, so it is on hold (I live in PA, USA). I don't think it was God's intention to put such a financial burden on yourself and I too can't find it in the Qur'an.

I also told my husband he shaves my baby's head he will have to deal with one ticked off mommy and Christian In-Laws who would see it as cruel and unnecessary. (He does not want to cut some hair, no he wants to SHAVE it with clippers.) I don't need him quoting a hadith either, my family loves to dance on how silly some of our beliefs are. Of course, the ones that our silly are those hadiths.
"Victory is changing the hearts of your opponents by gentleness and kindness."- Saladin

KDC501

Quote from: kay007 on April 27, 2011, 07:59:45 AM
Salam Brothers and Sisters,

I recently had a baby boy and as usual (as always around here) everybody is asking when I will hold the Aqeekah ceremony.  For those of you who don't know, Aqeekah is the ritual for newborns (boys and girls), where a sheep/goat/cow is slaughtered and distributed to the poor and needy.  Since I've been reading free-minds for quite some time now, I can't help but ask : Is this ritual or any aspect of it permissible according to the Quran?  There's chanting,hair cutting, gold/silver, feasting and slaughtering and I need to know whether all this is some old arab/semetic tradition or is there some basis in the Quran.

I would really appreciate some help here.
Peace..


Aqeekah is a cultural practice. The Quran says absolutely nothing about it. Personally if I were in your position I won't do it at all since it is an empty ritual preformed by people who follow the hadith, also it opens the door to ignorance since the people who perform this ceremony believe they will somehow bring "blessings upon the baby" when in fact it really doesn't do anything of the sort. It's just an empty ritual. Most likely a tradition passed down by pagans.


Btw, Congratulations on your baby boy ;D . Live long and prosper  :peace:

Ilyusha

Aqeeqa, including all the related rites, is a pagan tradition. It is also an expression of prejudice and gender discrimination that the organized Islam borrowed from pagan Arabic culture; in aqeeqa one goat is slaughtered for female babies, and two for male babies, and then it is attributed to 'sunnat'. And since the slaughter of animals is dedicated, in essence, to "sunnat" ... a phony idol, it comes under the commandment of this verse:

[6:145]....or what is corruptly dedicated to other than God

In my understanding, aqeeqa slaughter is a classic example of sacrifice dedicated to other than God.

In sub-Continent, aqeeqa is traditionally associated with "circumcision", another pagan ritual.

afridi220

Quote from: kay007 on April 27, 2011, 07:59:45 AM
Salam Brothers and Sisters,

I recently had a baby boy and as usual (as always around here) everybody is asking when I will hold the Aqeekah ceremony.  For those of you who don't know, Aqeekah is the ritual for newborns (boys and girls), where a sheep/goat/cow is slaughtered and distributed to the poor and needy.  Since I've been reading free-minds for quite some time now, I can't help but ask : Is this ritual or any aspect of it permissible according to the Quran?  There's chanting,hair cutting, gold/silver, feasting and slaughtering and I need to know whether all this is some old arab/semetic tradition or is there some basis in the Quran.

I would really appreciate some help here.
Peace..

Aqeeqah (Part 2)

It is related by Aa'ishah radhiyallahu anhaa: "During the age of perversion, the custom was that when people performed the Aqeeqah of a newly born child, they dipped a piece of cotton-wool in the blood of the sacrificed animal, and when the head of the child was shaved, it was placed on its head. (Since it was an uncivilised custom), the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam  remarked: 'Do not apply blood on the child's head. Apply Khalooq on its place.'"

Saheeh Ibne Hibbaan

Commentary:
In olden days, a preparation was used for scenting which included saffron, and it was called Khalooq. From the aforementioned narratives of  Buraydah radhiyallahu anhu and Aa'ishah radhiyallahu anhaa, it appears that
Aqeeqah was common among the Arabs during the age of ignorance too. Since, it served a useful purpose in many ways, and intrinsically was also in keeping with the spirit of Islaam, and perhaps, like the rituals of the Hajj , it was among the remaining practices of Millat-e-Ibraaheemee (the community of Prophet Ibraaheem alayhis salaam ), the holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam  preserved the reality of Aqeeqah, but corrected the perverse practices that had got associated with it.

We moreover learn from Bayhaqi that the Aqeeqah ceremony was also observed among the Jews, but they sacrificed an animal only in case of a male child, which probably was indicative of the lesser value that was generally placed on the girls in the pre-Islaamic times. The holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam  corrected this too, and enjoined that the Aqeeqah of the girls
should also be performed like that of the boys. However, keeping in mind the
natural difference between the two sexes which has been given a due regard in
inheritance and law of evidence, etc., as well, the holy Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam  laid down that while one goat was to be sacrificed in the Aqeeqah of a female child, two should be sacrificed in the Aqeeqah of a male child, provided that one's financial condition allowed it.

Umme Kurz radhiyallahu anhaa narrates that she heard the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam  saying about Aqeeqah: "Two goats should be sacrificed on behalf of a male child, and one on behalf of a female child, and it does not matter whether the animal was male or female."

Tirmizi, Nasa'ee

It is related by Abdullah Ibne Amr Ibne Aas radhiyallahu anhumaa that the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam  said: "To whom soever a child is born, and he wants to perform the sacrifice of Aqeeqah on behalf of it, he should sacrifice two goats for a boy and one goat for a girl."

Aboo Daawood, Nasa'ee

Commentary:
This Tradition shows that Aqeeqah is not obligatory, but it belongs to the category of Istihbaab, i.e., acts that are commendable in Islaam, but not binding or compulsory. In the same way, it is not necessary to sacrifice two goats for a male child. It, of course, is better to sacrifice two goats provided that one can afford it, otherwise one is enough.

In the next Tradition, it is explicitly stated that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam  sacrificed only one goat in the Aqeeqah ceremonies of Hasan and Husayn radhiyallahu anhumaa.


Peace


People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; forgive them anyway