The `aqeeqah is a great sunnah. It is part of the legacy inherited from Prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) and a great sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Every child is mortgaged to his `aqeeqah.”
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states: It is unfortunate to see that today many people tend to use the word bid`ah (reprehensible innovation) carelessly; this is the case when they use it as a means of opposing every single custom or practice they do not agree with, regardless of whether it is good or bad. The case you referred to in your question definitely is one of those instances. Bid`ah when properly understood denotes innovations in religion which are against the established norm and practice of the early generations and therefore must be rejected. Reading the Qur’an when people gather together cannot fall in this category; how can anyone say otherwise when we read in the traditions that the blessing of Allah descends upon those who gather on the word of Allah and His remembrance? We read in an authentic report from Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whenever people gather together in any of the houses of Allah reading and studying the book of Allah, tranquility from Allah will descend upon them, and Allah’s mercy will cover them, and the angels will make a ring of protection around them and Allah will mention their names proudly in His assembly.”
Furthermore, the Qur’an, the Noble Word of Allah, is the true source of mercy, guidance, light, and healing and blessing for the faithful. Thus can anyone find anything better to bless an occasion or open a session auspiciously than by reading the same?
It is, therefore, my humble opinion that one must not be deterred by those who seem to be so obsessed with the letter of the Law to such an extent that they fail to see its true spirit and soul.