For your new baby
Aqiqah: a guide for new parents
What the aqiqah is, when to do it and how, with the hadith behind each step. Start with the date.
Congratulations · every step with its hadith · nothing to sign up for
When is the aqiqah?
Enter the date of birth to see the seventh day, and the 14th and 21st if the seventh is missed.
Counted the way most scholars count: the day of birth is day one, so a baby born on a Monday has the aqiqah on the following Sunday. In the Maliki school, a baby born after dawn is counted from the next day; choose that option to see its count. Hijri dates are from your browser’s Umm al-Qura calendar and may differ by a day where you live.
Aqiqah in four numbers
- 7th day after the birth, counting the day of birth as the first Sunan Abi Dawud 2838
- 2 · 1 sheep or goats: two for a boy, one for a girl Sunan Abi Dawud 2834
- 14th · 21st the days recommended if the seventh is missed Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 1522
- 4 defects that make an animal unfit for sacrifice Sunan Abi Dawud 2802
Plan your aqiqah
What aqiqah is
A sacrifice of thanks for a newborn. On the seventh day a sheep or goat is sacrificed, the baby’s head is shaved and the baby is named, following the hadith: “Every child is held in pledge for its aqiqah, which is sacrificed for him on his seventh day, and his head is shaved, and he is named” (Sunan Abi Dawud 2838).
Once in a lifetime, not every year. Qurbani comes every Eid al-Adha; aqiqah is for the birth.
If you are arranging one, give your aqiqah openly and see it carried out.
How many animals
Two for a boy, one for a girl. “For a boy, two sheep alike, and for a girl, one” (Sunan Abi Dawud 2834; Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 1513), alike meaning close in age and quality. Many scholars accept one for a boy if that is what the family can afford, and the Maliki school holds one is the sunnah for either; see the schools’ views (Sunan Abi Dawud 2834).
Sharing the meat
As qurbani meat is shared. The family eats some, gives some to relatives, friends and neighbours, and gives some to people in need; many cook it and invite guests to celebrate. For the full guide with each school’s view, see aqiqah on muslimsaroundtheworld.org.
Aqiqah questions parents ask
When is the aqiqah?
On the seventh day after the birth, counting the day of birth as the first in most scholars’ view (Sunan Abi Dawud 2838). Use the calculator at the top of this page to find the date.
What if we miss the seventh day?
At-Tirmidhi reports that scholars recommended the seventh day, then the fourteenth, then the twenty-first (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 1522). Many scholars allow it later still; see the schools’ views.
Is aqiqah compulsory?
Most scholars count it as a confirmed sunnah for whoever can afford it, not an obligation, and a family who can’t afford it is not blamed (Sunan Abi Dawud 2838 is the hadith they discuss). The schools’ views page sets out the differences.
Can someone do the aqiqah for us, or abroad?
You can appoint someone to sacrifice on your behalf, as with qurbani, here or in another country; give the child’s name so it is done as their aqiqah. Many families ask a trusted organisation to do it and share the meat with families in need there.