Aqiqah Guide Aqiqah explained, with a seventh-day calculator and a checklist

Each view with its source

Where the schools differ on aqiqah

Where respected scholars reach different answers, here is each view and the hadith it starts from.

Its ruling

Strongly encouraged, in most views.

  • A confirmed sunnah: the Maliki, Shafi‘i and Hanbali schools count aqiqah as strongly encouraged for those who can afford it, not obligatory, on the hadith of the pledge (Sunan Abi Dawud 2838).
  • Recommended (Hanafi): Hanafi scholars generally count it as a good act of thanks for a child, on the same hadith (Sunan Abi Dawud 2838).
  • Obligatory (a minority): a few early scholars and the Zahiri school took the hadith to make it obligatory (Sunan Abi Dawud 2838).

See aqiqah on DonateOpenly: prices and how it is done.

If the seventh day is missed

Three positions.

  • The 14th or 21st day: at-Tirmidhi reports scholars recommending these (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 1522); also the Hanbali view, after which any day may be used.
  • Any time until the child is grown: the Shafi‘i view, on the same reports (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 1522).
  • The seventh day only: the well-known Maliki view (Sunan Abi Dawud 2838 names the seventh).

One animal or two for a boy

Two where the family can afford it.

  • Two: the hadith names two for a boy (Sunan Abi Dawud 2834), and most scholars follow it.
  • One is enough: many accept one when two can’t be afforded, and the Maliki school holds one for a boy or a girl, citing the report of a ram for each of al-Hasan and al-Husayn (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 1519 tells of al-Hasan’s aqiqah).

Aqiqah for an adult

Respected scholars differ. The Shafi‘i school and a view in the Hanbali school allow someone whose aqiqah was never done to do it for themselves as an adult; the Maliki school holds that aqiqah is for a child only. Both start from the hadith of the pledge (Sunan Abi Dawud 2838).

A larger animal, and qurbani

Shares, and separate acts. Most scholars allow a cow or camel too: the Shafi‘i and Hanafi schools allow a seventh share of one to count, while the Hanbali school asks for a whole animal. Many, including the Maliki and Shafi‘i schools, hold that aqiqah and qurbani each need their own animal (Sunan Abi Dawud 2834 is the starting point on the animals).

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