Aqeeqah:

When a child is born, it is part of the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) to perform an Aqeeqah. It is a way to express your gratitude to Allah for the blessing of your blessed baby through the sacrifice of livestock, such as goats or sheep. This usually occurs on the seventh day after a baby’s birth but is sometimes performed later. An Aqeeqah ceremony is a celebration where the meat from the sacrificed animal is cooked and shared with family, friends, and members of the community who are in need.

Aisha (R.A.) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said:

“Slaughter two comparable sheep for a male newborn and one for a female.” [Timidhi]

Shaving your baby’s hair is recommended as a symbol of purification. The sacrifice should be done after the hair is shaved or at the same time but not before. The cut hair should then be weighed, and its equivalent value in silver should be given as Sadaqah to the poor.