Aqiqah: the 7th-day newborn ceremony, in full.

Aqiqah (Arabic: al-aqiqa) is the Islamic newborn ceremony. On or around the seventh day after birth, the family slaughters a sheep or goat in gratitude to Allah for the child, gives the baby a good name, shaves the baby's head, and distributes the meat. It is a sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ that combines worship (the slaughter is a form of qurban), charity (the distribution to the poor), and family celebration (the shared meal). It is one of the most distinctive Muslim rites surrounding birth.

What is Aqiqah?

The word aqiqa comes from a root meaning "to cut", originally referring to the hair on a newborn's head. By extension, it came to refer to the entire ritual performed at the time of cutting that hair, especially the sacrifice. It is one of the rites the Prophet ﷺ established for welcoming a child into the ummah.

The most general hadith on the matter:

"Every child is held in pledge for his aqiqah. It is slaughtered for him on his seventh day, he is named, and his head is shaved." (Sunan Abu Dawud 2837; al-Tirmidhi 1522; Ibn Majah 3165, classified sahih)

The phrase "held in pledge" (murtahin bi-aqiqatih) has been interpreted variously: that the parents' intercession for the child is conditioned on it; that the child's blessings flow more fully after; that it is a metaphor for the strong recommendation. Whatever the precise meaning, the wording made the sunnah very widely practiced from the earliest generations.

Timing of Aqiqah

The primary time is the 7th day after birth. In classical reckoning, the day of birth is counted as day one, so the 7th day is six days later. Many families count differently in modern usage; either reckoning is fine, the point is the rough seven-day mark.

If the 7th day is missed, there are two acceptable later days, drawn from the hadith of Buraydah:

"Aqiqah is slaughtered on the 7th, or the 14th, or the 21st." (al-Bayhaqi; Tirmidhi notes this as hasan)

If those days are also missed, scholars differ:

• Maliki, Shafi'i: the obligation lapses with these days; if performed later, it is performed as something close to qurban but not technically aqiqah.
• Hanbali (popular position): may be performed anytime in childhood.
• Imam Ahmad and others: may be performed even in adulthood by the person himself, as we will discuss below.

Number of animals

The sunnah is two sheep for a boy and one for a girl. Aisha (RA) narrated:

"The Prophet ﷺ ordered for the boy two equal sheep and for the girl one sheep." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 1513; Ibn Majah 3163, classified sahih)

And from the Prophet ﷺ:

"For a boy there is aqiqah, so shed blood for him and remove the harm from him." (Sahih al-Bukhari 5472)

Most scholars hold that two sheep for a boy is the sunnah and one is sufficient if a person cannot afford two; the Prophet ﷺ himself is reported to have slaughtered one sheep for both al-Hasan and al-Husain (RA) in one report, though the better-known and more widespread practice is two each.

Type of animal

The animal must meet the same conditions as the qurban animal of Eid al-Adha:

• Age: sheep must have completed six months and look like a one-year-old; goat at least one year; cow at least two years; camel at least five years.
• Health: free of major defects (blindness, obvious illness, severe lameness, severe thinness, missing more than one third of the ear or tail).
• Type: sheep and goats are the standard. A cow or camel may be used, with each one counted as seven aqiqahs (so one cow could cover seven children, or three boys and one girl, etc.).

The slaughter is performed by saying "Bismillahi Allahu Akbar" and with intention of aqiqah for the named child. The throat (jugular veins, windpipe, esophagus) is cut quickly with a sharp knife, the same conditions of dhabh as for any halal slaughter.

Distribution of the meat

The classical recommendation is the same pattern as qurban:

• One third for the family,
• One third for friends, neighbors, and relatives as gifts,
• One third for the poor as charity.

These thirds are guidance, not a strict rule. A family in difficult circumstances may keep more for themselves; an affluent family may give more to the poor.

The meat may be distributed raw or cooked. Many families prefer to cook a feast and invite family, friends, and especially the poor and orphans to share. Some scholars note a preference for cooking it, because gifting cooked food expresses extra generosity. Either is fine.

One famous narration: A'isha (RA) recommended that the bones of the aqiqah animal not be broken, as a symbolic gesture of completeness, but this is not binding. Most scholars consider this a recommendation only.

Shaving the head, weighing the hair, and silver charity

On the same day as the aqiqah, the baby's head is shaved completely. This is a clear sunnah:

The Prophet ﷺ ordered Fatima (RA): "Shave [al-Hasan's] head and give the weight of his hair in silver to charity." (Imam Malik's al-Muwatta 1057; Tirmidhi 1519)

The procedure:

1. Shave the baby's head (a gentle clipper is fine if a razor is uncomfortable).
2. Weigh the cut hair.
3. Calculate the equivalent value in silver at current prices and give that amount in charity to the poor.

If the literal hair-weight in silver is impractical, give an estimated amount; the point is the act of charity in gratitude for the child. Whether shaving is also recommended for girls is debated; the Maliki and Hanbali popular position is yes; the Shafi'i and some Hanafi say it is for boys only. The hair-weight-in-silver charity is virtuous regardless.

It used to be common practice in some cultures to anoint the baby's head with the blood of the slaughtered animal (taltikh). The Prophet ﷺ explicitly forbade this and replaced it with saffron or perfume (Abu Dawud 2843).

Naming the child

The child is given his or her name on the 7th day. The Prophet ﷺ said: "On the Day of Judgment you will be called by your names and the names of your fathers, so give yourselves good names." (Sunan Abu Dawud 4948)

Categories of recommended names:

• Abdullah and Abd al-Rahman are the dearest names to Allah, the Prophet ﷺ said (Sahih Muslim 2132).
• Muhammad, Ahmad, Hasan, Husain, and the names of the prophets, Adam, Yusuf, Ibrahim, Isma'il, Musa, Isa, Yahya, etc.
• Names of the sahaba and great women of Islam, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Aisha, Fatima, Khadija, Maryam, Asma, Sumayya.
• Names with good meaning, like Karim (generous), Salah, Iman, Hanan.

The Prophet ﷺ changed names that had bad meaning. He changed a man named Asram (cut off) to Zur'a (cultivation), and a girl named Aasiya (rebel) to Jamila (beautiful). Avoid names that mean something distasteful, names of pharaohs and tyrants, or names that imply servitude to anything besides Allah (Abd al-Husain, Abd al-Kaaba, etc., are problematic; only Abd + a name of Allah is permitted).

Tahnik (placing softened date in the baby's mouth)

Closely associated with aqiqah, though performed earlier (often on day one), is the sunnah of tahnik. A righteous person chews a date until it is soft, then places a small amount on the baby's palate, the baby tastes the sweetness as one of the first things on his or her tongue.

The Prophet ﷺ himself performed tahnik for many newborns of the sahaba, including Abdullah ibn al-Zubair (RA). The Prophet ﷺ took a date, chewed it, and put a part of it into the baby's mouth, and made du'a for him (Sahih al-Bukhari 3909). Modern hygiene means many parents do this themselves rather than asking another person, which is fine; the act and the du'a is what matters.

Differences from qurban (Eid al-Adha sacrifice)

Aqiqah for adults who did not have one as a baby

What if your parents did not perform aqiqah for you? Can you do it for yourself now? Scholarly opinions:

• Imam Ahmad (in one report) and many Hanbali scholars: yes, it is recommended for an adult who did not have aqiqah to perform it for himself. They cite a narration that the Prophet ﷺ performed aqiqah for himself after his prophethood (al-Bayhaqi; the narration is debated, considered weak by many).
• Maliki and Shafi'i majority: the time has passed; aqiqah is on the 7th, 14th, or 21st day, and after that it is not technically aqiqah, though the person may simply give charity as an act of gratitude.
• Hanafi: aqiqah is mubah (permissible), so the issue does not arise as a question of obligation; one may perform a slaughter at any time as charity.

The safer practice if you want to do it: perform the slaughter with intention of gratitude to Allah and following the sunnah, distribute the meat to the poor, and do not specifically claim it as "the aqiqah you missed." Allah accepts the intention.

FAQ

Can I just donate money instead of slaughtering?

The sunnah is the actual slaughter. Many international charities (Islamic Relief, Helping Hand, etc.) accept aqiqah donations: you pay, they arrange a sheep to be slaughtered in a country of need and distributed. This satisfies the sunnah and serves the poor. Donating cash without any slaughter does not fulfill the specific aqiqah ritual.

What if the baby dies before the 7th day?

If the baby is born alive and survives to the 7th day, even briefly, aqiqah is sunnah. If the baby is stillborn or dies before day seven, scholars differ: many hold no aqiqah is required because the days are not reached, while some recommend a slaughter as charity for the parents. Consult a scholar in cases of grief.

Can a relative pay for the aqiqah?

Yes. Although the primary responsibility is on the father, anyone can give or pay for the aqiqah on behalf of the child. The grandfather, the uncle, or any relative or friend can offer this as a gift.

Is it required to recite the adhan in the baby's ear?

Reciting the adhan in the right ear and the iqama in the left ear of a newborn is mentioned in narrations from the Prophet ﷺ (Abu Dawud 5105), though the chains are debated. Most scholars consider it a recommended sunnah. It is typically done at birth, not on the aqiqah day.

Can we hold a big celebration for the aqiqah?

Yes, the meal and gathering are a natural part of the rite, and inviting family, friends, and the poor is encouraged. Avoid excessive spending, haram entertainment, and any innovation that the Prophet ﷺ did not establish. Keep the focus on gratitude to Allah for the gift of the child.