Hadith #188

Arabic Text

English Translation

It was narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr (رضي الله عنهما) — via 'Abd al-Razzaq, from Dawud ibn Qays, from 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb, from his father, from his grandfather — that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about the 'aqiqa. He said: 'Allah does not love 'uquq [ingratitude to parents]' — as though he disliked the [similar-sounding] name. They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we are asking about what one does when a child is born.' He said: 'Whoever among you wishes to slaughter [a sacrifice] on behalf of his child, let him do so — for a boy, two matching sheep [of equivalent quality]; and for a girl, one sheep.' He was also asked about al-fara' [the first offspring of a camel, formerly slaughtered in pre-Islamic rites]. He said: 'And al-fara' is [a legitimate practice], but it is better to leave it until it grows strong and becomes a one- or two-year-old male camel — then ride it in the path of Allah, or give it to a widow. That is better than slaughtering it while its flesh still clings to its wool — emptying your vessel [of milk] and bereaving your she-camel [of its young].' He was also asked about al-'atira [a pre-Islamic Rajab sacrifice]. He said: 'And al-'atira is [a recognized practice].' Some of the people asked 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb: 'What is al-'atira?' He said: 'They used to slaughter a sheep in Rajab, cook it, eat from it, and feed others.'