Sir, I wanted to ask about aqiqah.

Is it Sunnah, obligatory, or mustahabb?

If the children grow older, for example 7, 8 years old, can it still be done?

And what is its criterion in financial terms, like there is one for sacrifice, what is it for this?

What is the calculation of the animal for a boy, and what for a girl?

Of a cow and a goat

If we put a share in a cow, as a cow is bought for sacrifice and its shares are made, in that way can 1 share be included for sacrifice and the remaining shares in aqiqah?

My sister has 3 children, so she wants to do their aqiqah.

The elder daughter is 7 years old and the other 2 are younger sons.

Financially, they are just normal; some years they perform sacrifice, some years they do not.

And please also tell about Hanafi fiqh; what is the ruling according to it?

These are questions asked of me by a colleague, Nowroz.

Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh

The answers, based on the hadith scholars and the proofs of the Book and the Sunnah, to all of Nowroz Sahib's questions relating to aqiqah are given below, and at the end the position of Hanafi fiqh has also been stated separately.

According to the majority of the scholars of hadith, performing aqiqah is a Sunnah Mu'akkadah (an emphasized Sunnah); it is not obligatory.

Evidence: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Every child is held in pledge in return for his aqiqah; on the seventh day an animal is slaughtered on his behalf, he is given a name, and his head is shaved." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 1522, Imam al-Tirmidhi called it hasan sahih)

If a child grows older and the aqiqah could not be done in childhood because of financial hardship, then performing the aqiqah after growing older is completely permissible and correct.

Evidence: In the Shariah, the original time of aqiqah is the seventh day, but if there is no capacity at that time, the aqiqah can be done later, whenever there is capacity, because aqiqah is a sacrifice of thanksgiving which does not lapse. According to the imams of hadith, if the parents could not do it, a person can also do his own aqiqah himself after growing up.

For aqiqah, no specific "nisab" is fixed, like that for sacrifice or zakat.

Its criterion is only "financial capacity". If a person has enough money that he can buy an animal without his basic needs being affected, he should perform the aqiqah (it is a Sunnah). If there is no cash, it is not necessary to take a loan for aqiqah or to sell one's assets.

According to the Prophetic Sunnah, there is a difference between the animals for a boy and a girl:

For a boy: Two goats or two sheep (or two shares in a cow).

For a girl: One goat or one sheep (or one share in a cow).

Evidence: The clear saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is: "On behalf of a boy, two goats, alike, and on behalf of a girl, one goat." (Sunan al-Nasa'i: 4212, sahih)

Yes, including shares of sacrifice and aqiqah in one and the same cow or camel is completely permissible.

Since there are seven shares in a cow, if a person buys a cow or takes shares in a cow, he can, for example, keep one share for his obligatory/Sunnah sacrifice and the remaining shares for the children's aqiqah. The purpose of both is the shedding of blood for the pleasure of Allah, so this is permissible.

The sister has three children (a 7-year-old daughter and two younger sons). According to the Sunnah, their total cost comes to 5 goats (or 5 shares in a cow) (the daughter's 1, and both sons' 2+2=4).

Since their financial circumstances are normal (sometimes they perform sacrifice, sometimes not), there is no burden upon them. They are not obliged to perform the aqiqah of all of them together at once.

This year she may put one or two shares in a cow and do the aqiqah of one son, next year the other's, and then do the daughter's. There is ease in the Shariah; as there is expansion in wealth, she can perform the aqiqah in turns.

In Hanafi fiqh, the rulings on aqiqah are slightly different from those of the majority, the details of which are as follows:

Shariah Status: According to Hanafi fiqh, aqiqah is not a Sunnah Mu'akkadah, but it is "mubah" or "mustahabb" (tatawwu', that is, a voluntary act of worship). According to the Hanafis, when the ruling of the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha came, it abrogated the ruling of all the previous sacrifices (including aqiqah) being obligatory or a Sunnah Mu'akkadah. Now it is a voluntary and mustahabb act; if someone does it, there is reward, and if he does not do it, there is no sin.

Aqiqah of Older Children: According to the Hanafis as well, if the aqiqah could not be done on the seventh day, performing the aqiqah later at any age (even after puberty) is permissible and mubah.

Financial Criterion: Since it is mustahabb/voluntary, it has no nisab. A person possessing wealth can do it whenever he wishes, of his own pleasure.

Calculation for a Boy and a Girl: In Hanafi fiqh, one animal (goat) each for both a boy and a girl is also sufficient. If someone wishes to do two for a boy, it is better, but if only one goat is slaughtered for a boy, as for a girl, the aqiqah is fulfilled.

Combining Shares in a Cow: In Hanafi fiqh, it is completely permissible that shares of sacrifice and aqiqah be gathered together in the seven shares of one cow. The condition is that the intention of any shareholder should not be merely to eat meat, but all of their intentions should be for attaining closeness to Allah (sacrifice/aqiqah).

Summary for Nowroz Sahib: Aqiqah is not at all obligatory or incumbent upon his sister. In accordance with her financial capacity, when there is ease, she can perform the children's aqiqah by doing one animal at a time or by putting shares in a cow; by this, the Sunnah will also be fulfilled and the reward of the mustahabb act according to Hanafi fiqh will also be obtained.

Translated from the original Urdu fatwa.