Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 30
30 Although circumcision is an Islamic birth rite, there is no special ceremony or procedure surrounding the circumcision of a baby. Most families choose to have a doctor perform the circumcision while the baby is still in the hospital after birth or shortly thereafter. Aqiqah is another important Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (saw). It is the celebration of the birth of a child and essentially consists of two acts: the shaving of the hair from the head of a newborn baby, and the sacrifice of an animal. It was the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (saw) to shave the baby ’ s head, weigh the shaven hair and give the equivalent weight in gold or silver to charity and sacrifice an animal (two in the case of a boy). 2. 6 The meat was then distributed among the poor, with a share for the baby ’ s family. The reason for making an animal sacrifice at the birth of a baby is that the parents should recognize that the child does not belong to them but is entrusted to them by Allah Almighty, and that the sacrifice signifies that they are devoting the child to Allah ’ s service. It is also reported that the Holy Prophet (saw) would perform Aqiqah seven days after the child ’ s birth. Shaving the hair of the baby also serves to cleanse the baby ’ s head and promotes the growth of stronger hair. ( www. alislam. org/v/k-Aqeeqa. html ) Naming a Child Naming a child with a beautiful and honorable name is very important. The Holy Prophet (saw) always chose names with good and positive meanings, even telling people to change their names if they had unpleasant meanings. He said: “ On the Day of Qiyamah you will be called by your (own) names and the names of your fathers. Therefore, keep good names. ” 2. 7 Therefore, a name should be chosen with a lot of thought and should have a good meaning. More importantly, one should keep away from