First: ῾Aqīqah refers to the animal sacrifice offered after a child’s birth, or it can also refer to the meal prepared to celebrate the newborn, whether it involves a specially sacrificed animal or purchased food.
The legitimacy of ῾Aqīqah is supported by several pieces of evidence, including:
- A ḥadīth reported by the authors of Sunan books, and narrated by Al-Bukhārī in a mu῾allaq (incomplete chain) form, from Salman ibn ῾Aāmir al-Ḍabbī (may Allāh be pleased with him), who said: “I heard the Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘For the boy, there is an ῾Aqīqah, so spill blood for him and remove harm from him.'”
- Another ḥadīth from the Sunan books, narrated by Al-Ḥasan from Samurah (may Allāh be pleased with him), in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “A child is held in pledge by his ῾Aqīqah; it is sacrificed for him on the seventh day.”
῾Aqīqah is considered a confirmed Sunnah (highly recommended) according to the Shāfi῾ī and Ḥanbalī schools of Islamic law, as well as scholars like ᾽Isḥāq and Abū Thawr. Some view it as permissible, but the majority do not consider it obligatory.
However, Ibn Ḥazm stated that ῾Aqīqah is a mandatory obligation for those who have extra money over their basic needs. He argued that a person is required to sacrifice for each newborn, whether the child is born alive or stillborn, as long as they are recognized as a boy or girl. For a boy, two sheep are slaughtered, and for a girl, one sheep.
Second: It is preferable to perform the ῾Aqīqah in the child’s country, as its primary purpose is to express gratitude to Allāh for the blessing of the child and to celebrate the newborn. The goal is not merely to feed the poor, but for everyone, including the family, to partake in the meal.
However, it is permissible to perform the ῾Aqīqah in any country that the person responsible for it sees fit, whether in the family’s country or elsewhere. The act is based on the person’s intention, similar to how Zakāh, Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr (charity at the end of Ramaḍān), and ᾽Uḍḥiyah (sacrificial slaughter during ῾Iīd) can be performed outside one’s place of residence.
It is also permissible to appoint someone else to carry out the sacrifice or to distribute the food, with the intention being on behalf of the person responsible for the ῾Aqīqah.
