{"id":18248,"date":"2025-05-17T15:33:18","date_gmt":"2025-05-17T15:33:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldoforient.org\/akika-ar-\/?\/?\/?\/?\/?\/?\/?-duhovna-radost-rodenja-u-islamskoj-tradiciji\/"},"modified":"2025-05-17T15:36:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-17T15:36:32","slug":"akika-the-spiritual-joy-of-birth-in-islamic-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldoforient.org\/en\/akika-the-spiritual-joy-of-birth-in-islamic-tradition\/","title":{"rendered":"Akika (Arabic: \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0642\u064a\u0642\u0629) \u2013 The Spiritual Joy of Birth in Islamic Tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The birth of a child is one of the most sacred and joyous moments in the life of any family. In Islamic tradition, this moment is further enriched by the custom of \u2018aqiqah<\/strong> (Arabic: \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0642\u064a\u0642\u0629) \u2013 a ritual that carries deep spiritual, humanitarian, and communal symbolism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through \u2018aqiqah, gratitude to God is not only expressed for the gift of a child, but the child is also symbolically welcomed into the community through acts of love, giving, and care for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When is \u2018Aqiqah performed?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is recommended that \u2018aqiqah be performed on the seventh day<\/strong> after the child\u2019s birth. If that is not possible, it may be done later \u2013 on the 14th or 21st day, or at any time the family is able to do so. However, the seventh day is the most emphasized in the hadiths (sayings of the Prophet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does \u2018Aqiqah involve?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Animal Sacrifice<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Traditionally, two sheep or goats<\/strong> are sacrificed for a boy, and one<\/strong> for a girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meat is divided into three parts \u2013 one for the family, one for relatives and friends, and the third for the poor. This practice expresses gratitude to God, strengthens community bonds, and provides help to those in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Shaving the Baby\u2019s Head<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On this day, the baby\u2019s head is shaved \u2013 symbolically, as a sign of a new beginning and purity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weight of the shaved hair is measured and then given in gold (or its equivalent value) as charity (sadaqah<\/strong>) to the poor. This gesture unites the spiritual and material aspects of gratitude and solidarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Naming the Child<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is customary to officially name the child on this day. Islamic tradition encourages the giving of meaningful, beautiful names \u2013 often those borne by prophets, companions of the Prophet (sahabah), or righteous people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is \u2018Aqiqah important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Aqiqah is not merely a ritual \u2013 it is an act of thankfulness to God<\/strong> for the gift of a child, and an act of welcoming the child into the community<\/strong> through love, generosity, and helping others. Through a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, we learn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“Every child is in pledge for his \u2018aqiqah. On the seventh day, the animal is sacrificed for him, his head is shaved, and he is given a name.”<\/strong>
(Hadith \u2013 Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In many Muslim communities, it is customary for family and friends to gift the baby gold bracelets, necklaces, or coins<\/strong> \u2013 as a sign of blessing and love. These gifts often remain in the family as keepsakes and a trust for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Aqiqah is a beautiful, emotional, and symbolic moment<\/strong> in the life of a Muslim family \u2013 filled with gratitude, joy, unity, and spiritual peace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The birth of a child is one of the most sacred and joyous moments in the life of any family….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18246,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldoforient.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldoforient.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldoforient.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldoforient.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldoforient.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18248"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/worldoforient.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18251,"href":"https:\/\/worldoforient.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18248\/revisions\/18251"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldoforient.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldoforient.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldoforient.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldoforient.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}