Do the relatives gather for the 'aqiqah, or is it distributed among the poor?

Question : May Allah reward you. The sister questioner asks regarding the 'aqiqah for the newborn: should the relatives and neighbors gather for it, or is it better to distribute it among the poor and the needy?

Answer : Combining both is better. Distribute some of it to the poor, because this is a sacrifice by which a person draws near to his Lord, so the poor are the most deserving of it. Also, gather his neighbors and relatives for it, so that two benefits are achieved: the benefit of the poor, and the benefit of announcing the Sunnah and explaining it. This is an easy matter; for example, one gives away the two legs or the two arms as charity, eats the rest, and invites some of his relatives and neighbors to it.