The Lajnah ad-Da’imah was asked the following question:
Question:
We announce the ‘Aqiqah (sacrifice for a newborn) in the Masajid (mosques) and invite people to it on the seventh day; if they came, they would give the guardian of the new baby money and congratulate him and then they choose the most knowledgeable of them to deliver a sermon. If the guardian of the newborn baby was from the diligent people, he would prepare food and drinks for them. The question is: Is this permissible or not? Please benefit us with your answer in the light of our question. May Allah benefit you!
Answer:
The mentioned above action with regard to ‘Aqiqah is not Islamically permissible because there is no evidence to endorse it. What is Mashru` (Islamically permissible) for the ‘Aqiqah is that it is to be eaten, and given as a gift and charity as is done with Ud-hiyah (sacrificial animal offered by non-pilgrims).
May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.
The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’
Mentioned by
AbdulFattaah Bin Uthman
Abu Fajr
The Lajnah ad-Da’imah were also asked:
11. السؤال الرابع من الفتوى رقم (6779)
س4: ما حكم احتفال الناس في العقيقة والوليمة؟
Question:
What is the ruling on the people coming together to celebrate for the aqeeqah and the walima?
ج4: العقيقة: ما تُذبح عن المولود سابع يوم ولادته، والوليمة: ما يقدَّم من الطعام في العرس ذبيحة أو نحوها، وكلاهما سنَّة، والاجتماع في ذلك لتناول الطعام والمشاركة في السرور وإعلان النكاح خير.
وبالله التوفيق وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم .
Answer:
Al-Aqeeqah is what is slaughtered on behalf of the new born on the seventh day and the walima is what is brought forward of food during the wedding a sacrifice or its likes. And both of them are sunnah; coming together for it to eat food and to take part in showing happiness and announcing the marriage is good….
اللجنة الدائمة للبحوث العلمية والإفتاء
الشيخ عبد العزيز بن باز ، الشيخ عبد الرزاق عفيفي
الشيخ عبد الله بن غديان ، عبد الله بن قعود
” فتاوى اللجنة الدائمة ” ( 11 / 442 ، 443 ) .
Note: Ash-Shaykh Albany rahimahullah warns from believing it is a must to have a party or a celebration for the aqeeqah especially if it will be a burden for the family financially. However, he has the choice of inviting people for its occasion or merely distributing the meat.
“that the person inviting the people for the aqeeqah should make his intention sincerely for Allaah, an intention such as for feeding the poor or intending to feed friends or to intend to hold a knowledge based gathering like this brother did and many others as well…to seek by it the pleasure of Allaah”
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I believe Shaykh Albany sees both to be acts a person could seek nearness to Allah by but he shouldn’t enforce one over the other or burden himself in carrying it out or other common mistakes what may happen when holding the celebration for it.
Ash-Shaykh Albany rahimahullah said:
قد شعرت بأن كثيراً من الإخوان الذين تبنُّوا إحياء هذا الحكم [العقيقة] كأنهم يستلزمون من العق – الذي هو الذبح- أنه لا بد من دعوة الناس إليها، هذه الدعوى أنه لا بد من دعوة الناس هذا لا أصل له في
السنة»ا.
“I have come to realize that many from the brothers who have made efforts to revive this ruling, as if they made it the aqeeqah which is the sacrifice that it is a must to invite the people to it. This claim [of theirs] that it is a must to invite the people has no origin to the sunnah”
End quote.
Note: Here the Shaykh clarifies that the concept believing it is a must to invite the people isn’t from the sunnah and he is not stating that gathering for the aqeeqah or inviting the people to it isn’t from the Sunnah since the person has a choice of one of the two.
عندنا فريقان، منهم من يرى أن الوليمة في العقيقة ودعوة الناس هذا من البدع !!!
فأجاب بقوله: «ويش الدليل على أنه من البدع؟!!
ما فيه شيء يدل على أن هذا مبتدع، لا بأس به، كون الإنسان يعق ويدعو ناس ويطعمهم ويتصدق لا بأس؛ سواء أطعمهم أو جمعهم وأكلوا، كونه من البدع ليس بصحيح، بل هذا سائغ وهذا سائغ.
والأصل: أنه سواء طبخ اللحم ودُعي له من يستحقه من الفقراء والمساكين ومن الأقارب، أو وُزع على الأقارب وعلى الفقراء والمساكين ولم يطبخ منه شيء،
كل ذلك سائغ»ا.ه.
Ash-Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin al-Abbaad hafidaho-Allah was asked concerning if having a banquet and inviting the people for the aqeeqah is from the acts of innovations. He answered as follows:
Answer:
What is the proof that it is from the acts of innovations?! There isn’t anything that indicates that this person innovated there is harm in it. The fact one does an aqeeqah and invites people and feeds them and gives charity by it, there is no harm in that. Whether he merely distributes the food or gathers them to eat, the claim of it being a bid’ah isn’t correct. Rather, this is permissible as well as the other one is permissible…
[Sharh Sunan Abu Dawud tape 209]
Translated by
AbdulFattaah Bin Uthman
Abu Fajr
