Giving charity after shaving the baby’s head
Question
Q. When shaving the newborn’s head, is giving its weight in charity compulsory or recommended?
Answer
It is Mustahab (recommended and desirable) for the hair on the head of the newborn, boy or girl, to be shaved on the seventh day.
It is also Mustahab to give silver in Sadaqah to the poor and needy equal to the weight of the shaved hair.
Narrated Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Husain Rahimahullah: Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib Radiyallahu Anhu said: “The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) performed the Aqeeqah for Hasan Radiyallahu Anhu with sheep, and said: ‘O Fatimah! Shave his head and give the weight of his hair in silver as charity.'” He said: “So I weighed it, and it was the weight of a Dirham (silver coin weighing 3.06 grams) or a bit of a Dirham.” (Tirmidhi 1519)
The current price of silver (as of 14/02/2023) is +/- R13 per gram.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
- Answered by
- Mufti Moosa Salie, Mufti Taahir Hansa
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