Is It
Better To Do The 'Aqeeqah Or To Give Its Price In Charity?
Islamic Rulings -
Living Shariah Verdicts
Islamic Questions & Answer
Allah has blessed me with a son. Is it better to
slaughter the 'Aqeeqah on his behalf or to give its
price in charity?.
Praise be to Allah.
Sacrificing the 'Aqeeqah is better than giving its
price in charity, indeed, giving the money in charity
instead of doing the 'Aqeeqah does not serve the
intended purpose, because the purpose of 'Aqeeqah is
to draw closer to Allah by means of offering this
sacrifice.
Ibn al-Qayyim said in Tuhfat al-Mawdood bi Ahkaam al-Mawlood,
p. 164:
Offering a sacrifice when it is prescribed is better
than giving its price in charity even if one gives
more than the price, like sacrifices offered during
Hajj and at Eid al-Adha, because the aim is to carry
out the actual act of slaughter and shedding the
blood, because this is an act of worship which is
mentioned alongside prayer, as Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice
(to Him only)"
[al-Kawthar 108:2]
"Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my
sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the
Lord of the 'Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that
exists)"
[al-An'aam 6:162]
In every religion, nothing can take the place of
prayer and sacrifice, hence if many times the value of
the sacrificial animal for tamattu' and qiraan (Hajj)
were to be given in charity, that would not take the
place of the sacrifice. The same applies to all kinds
of sacrifice. And Allah knows best.
The Standing Committee was asked (11/449) about paying
money instead of doing the 'Aqeeqah. They replied:
"Two sheep should be slaughtered for a boy and one for
a girl; it is not acceptable to pay money etc
instead."
And the Standing Committee was also asked (11/440): Is
it acceptable to buy meat instead of slaughtering the
'Aqeeqah?
They replied:
It is only acceptable to slaughter one sheep for a
girl and two for a boy.
And Allah knows best.
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