The birth of a child is a joyous occasion for every family. It is a sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that when a baby is born the parents should perform aqeeqah for the child by slaughtering two goats or sheep for a boy and one sheep or goat for a girl.
It is mustahab is to perform the sacrifice on the seventh day after the child is born although there is no harm in performing it earlier or later.
‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did the aqeeqah for al-Hasan and al-Husayn on the seventh day, and gave them names.’
[Hakim]
Currently Ummah Welfare Trust offers the aqeeqah service in Gambia, where £85 provides a goat which is slaughtered, cooked and served to around 80 poor Qur’an students.
For ‘Most Needy‘ a small animal can be slaughtered for £80. This aqeeqah will be done in either Pakistan or India, and its meat distributed to poor Muslims.