The Rare Ahadith

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a child who dies on the seventh day: if ‘Aqiqah is still necessary. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he dies before al-Zuhr ‘Aqiqah is not required; but if he dies after al-Zuhr then ‘Aqiqah is required.”’

“I would often sit with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), in al-Madinah and he (the Imam) found me absent for a few days. When I went to visit him (the Imam) he (the Imam) asked, ‘I have not seen you for many days, O abu Harun.’ I said that a boy is born to me. He (the Imam) said, ‘May Allah make him a blessing for you! What have you named him?’ I replied, ‘I have named him Muhammad.’ He (the Imam) lowered his face to the ground saying, Muhammad, Muhammad, Muhammad, until his face almost touched the ground. He (the Imam) then said, ‘My soul, my children, my family, my father and all the inhabitants of earth, all of them are sacrifices for the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. You must not abuse him (the child), beat him or misbehave with him. Take notice, O abu Harun, that there is no house on earth wherein someone is named Muhammad but that it speaks of the glory of Allah.’ He (the Imam) then asked me, ‘Have you offered ‘Aqiqah for him?’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I remained quiet. He (the Imam) found me quiet and thought that I have not offered ‘Aqiqah yet. He (the Imam) said, ‘O Musadif, come closer to me.’ I by Allah did not hear what he (the Imam) said to him except that I guessed he (the Imam) instructed him to give something to me. I then wanted to stand up and he (the Imam) then said to me, ‘Wait O abu Harun as you are.’ Musadif then brought for me three dinars and placed them in my hand and said, ‘O abu Harun, you can go and buy two rams, make sure they are fat, then slaughter and use them for food.’”

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who had not offered ‘Aqiqah for any of his children until they all grew up as young boys or grown up men. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he offers sacrifice for them or they themselves offer sacrifice it then is sufficient for ‘Aqiqah. He (the Imam) said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘The newborn is under the mortgage of ‘Aqiqah and it is up to the parents to free him or leave him under such mortgage.’”