The `Aqiqa - Section 1

English translation

Salman b. ‘Amir ad Dabbl told that he heard God's messenger say, “Along with a boy there is an <i>‘aqiqa</i>, so shed blood on his behalf and remove injury from him.”* *This is variously explained as shaving the hair of the infant, or removing the impurities with which it is defiled at birth, or even circumcision. Bukhari transmitted it.

English translation

‘A’isha told that boys used to be brought to God’s messenger, and he would invoke blessings on them and soften some dates and rub their palates with them. Muslim transmitted it.

English translation

Asma’ daughter of Abu Bakr said she conceived ‘Abdallah b. azZubair in Mecca and gave birth to him in Quba’, then took him to God’s messenger and placed him in his lap. He called for a date, chewed it and spat in his mouth, after which he rubbed his palate and then made supplication for him and invoked a blessing on him. He was the first child to be born in the Islamic period. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

English translation

Umm Kurz told that she heard God’s messenger say, “Let the birds stay in their roosts.”* She told that she also heard him say, “Two sheep are to be sacrificed for a boy and one for a girl, but it does you no harm whether they are male or female.” *Either that they are not to be molested, or that they are not to be disturbed for the purpose of taking omens. Abu Dawud transmitted it. Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmit it from “two sheep” to the end, Tirmidhi saying this is a <i>sahih</i> tradition.

English translation

Al-Hasan quoted Samura who reported God’s messenger as saying, "A boy is in pledge for his <i>‘aqiqa</i>. Sacrifice is made for him on the seventh day, he is given a name and his head is shaved.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, but the last two have “a pledge” for “in pledge.” A version by Ahmad and Abu Dawud has “is smeared with blood” 1 in place of “is given a name.” Abu Dawud says th at “is given a name” is sounder.

English translation

Muhammad b. ‘All b. Husain quoted ‘Ali b. Abu Talib as saying that God’s messenger sacrificed a sheep on the seventh day for al-Hasan and said, “Shave his head, Fatima, and give the weight of his hair in silver as <i>sadaqa</i>.” So they weighed it and it amounted to a dirham or part of a dirham. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a <i>hasan gharib</i> tradition, but its <i>isnad</i> is not fully connected because Muhammad b. ‘Ali b. Husain was not born in the time of ‘Ali b. Abu Talib.

English translation

Ibn ‘Abbas told that God’s messenger sacrificed a ram on the seventh day for both al-Hasan and al-Husain. Abu Dawud transmitted it. Nasa’i says two rams each.

English translation

'Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father's authority, said his grandfather told that God’s messenger was asked about the <i>‘aqiqa</i> and replied, “God does not like the breaking of ties (<i>‘uquq</i>),” as though he disliked the name. And he said, “If anyone has a child born to him and wishes to offer a sacrifice on its behalf, he may offer two sheep for a boy and one for a girl. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

English translation

Abu Rafi' told th at he saw God's messenger uttering the call to prayer in the ear of al-Hasan b. ‘Ali when Fatima gave birth to him. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a <i>hasan sahih</i> tradition.

English translation

Buraida said:

When a boy was born to one of us in the pre-Islamic period he sacrificed a sheep and smeared his head with its blood; but when Islam came we sacrificed a sheep on the seventh day, shaved his head and smeared it with saffron. Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Razin added, “and gave him his name.”