Performing Aqiqah after the seventh day is permissible
Some scholars hold the view that it is not permissible to perform Aqiqah after the seventh day, the following article is a refutation of those scholars.
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلوة والسلام على رسوله الأمين، أما بعد:
It is absolutely correct that performing Aqiqah on the seventh day after the birth of a child is Sunnah, as proven by authentic Hadith. And if due to some excuse Aqiqah cannot be performed on the seventh day, then performing it on the fourteenth day, and if not on the fourteenth day, then on the twenty-first day is correct according to the narrations. And if the opportunity is not available even on the twenty-first day, then Aqiqah should be performed whenever possible during the lifetime.
Two evidences for this issue are presented:
① Imam Tabarani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
حدثنا أحمد قال: حدثنا الهيثم قال: حدثنا عبد الله عن ثمامة عن أنس: أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم عق عن نفسه بعد ما بعث نبيا.
It is narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that indeed the Prophet (peace be upon him), after being sent as a Prophet, performed Aqiqah on his own behalf.
The chain of this Hadith is Hasan Lidhatihi (good in itself) and this narration is also found in the following books:
✔ Mushkil al-Athar by Al-Tahawi
عن الحسن بن عبد الله بن منصور البالسي عن الهيثم بن جميل به.
✔ Al-Mukhtarah by Al-Dhiya al-Maqdisi
من حديث أبى حاتم الرازي: ثنا عمرو بن محمد الناقد: ثنا الهيثم بن جميل به.
✔ Muhalli by Ibn Hazm
من حديث إبراهيم بن إسحاق السراج: ثنا عمرو بن محمد الناقد به.
✔ Kitab al-Ayal by Ibn Abi al-Dunya
عن عمرو بن محمد الناقد به.
Now a brief and comprehensive authentication of the narrators of this chain is as follows:
❀ Our master Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) is a famous Companion.
❀ Thumamah (bin Abdullah) bin Anas (may Allah have mercy on him)
The majority have authenticated him, and he is a narrator of Sahih and Hasan Hadith.
The narrations he has reported are found in Sahih Bukhari
and others.
وقال الحافظ ابن حجر العسقلاني: صدوق.
Also see Sahih al-Bukhari
and Sahih Muslim
❀ Abdullah bin Al-Muthanna bin Anas (may Allah have mercy on him)
He is considered a trustworthy narrator and a narrator of Hasan Hadith by the majority.
Some criticisms against him are weak.
His narrations are found in Sahih Bukhari:
Also see Miftah Sahih al-Bukhari
❀ Haitham bin Jamil Al-Antaki (may Allah have mercy on him)
He was a narrator of Sahih Bukhari and a trustworthy narrator of Hadith. The majority have authenticated him and the criticisms by Imam Ibn Adi and others are weak and unacceptable. Also, the accusation of confusion against him is false.
❀ This Hadith from Haitham bin Jamil (may Allah have mercy on him) was narrated by the following narrators:
First: Ahmad bin Mas’ud Al-Dimashqi Al-Maqdisi Al-Khayyat (may Allah have mercy on him)
Abu Awana narrated from him in Sahih Abi Awana and Al-Dhiya al-Maqdisi declared his Hadith authentic, meaning he is a narrator of Hasan Hadith.
Second: Hasan bin Abdullah bin Mansur Al-Balasi (may Allah have mercy on him)
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah narrated from him in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah
Third: Amr bin Muhammad Al-Naqid (may Allah have mercy on him)
He was a narrator of the two Sahihs and a trustworthy Hafiz.
This research has proven that this sanad is delightful and authoritative.
Some scholars’ specific research regarding this hadith is as follows:
✔ Zia al-Maqdisi recorded it in Al-Mukhtarah and declared it authentic.
✔ Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said: فالحديث قوي الإسناد Thus, this hadith is strong in terms of its chain of narration.
✔ For the words of Hafiz Haithami, see Majma’ al-Zawa’id
✔ Among contemporaries, Sheikh al-Albani said about this hadith:
“وهذا إسناد حسن .” And this chain is Hasan (good).
✔ Also, the respected Hafiz Abu Yahya Noorpuri, may Allah preserve him, has declared this narration Hasan.
From this hadith, it is clearly established that if for some reason the ‘Aqiqah is not performed on the seventh day, then later when the opportunity arises (even after forty years), performing ‘Aqiqah is permissible, and declaring it impermissible is wrong.
Some scholars have claimed, based on possibility, that this hadith is specific to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, but there is no explicit evidence for this claim, so there is doubt about this claim. And Allah knows best.
② The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
كل غلام مرتهن بعقيقته. Every child is held hostage because of his ‘Aqiqah.
It should be noted that the narration about performing ‘Aqiqah on the seventh day is authentic, and the narration mentioning the fourteenth and twenty-first days is weak.
However, on this issue, the statements of Ata ibn Abi Rabah and the righteous predecessors are established.
It is better and recommended to perform ‘Aqiqah on the seventh day, but phrase number 1, phrase number 2 (كل غلام مرتهن بعقيقته) and the statements of the righteous predecessors indicate that performing ‘Aqiqah after the seventh day is also permissible.
Since every child is held hostage because of his ‘Aqiqah, every hostage should be freed, and those who missed it due to legitimate excuses should perform ‘Aqiqah when the opportunity arises to free the child from this hostage.
Ibn Hazm Andalusi wrote:
If one cannot slaughter the ‘Aqiqah animal on the seventh day, then whenever he has the ability to fulfill this obligation afterward, he should do so (i.e., perform the child’s ‘Aqiqah).
No one opposes this view; rather, (Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, as will be mentioned later, and) Ibn al-Qayyim and others are among its supporters, and to the best of our knowledge, there is consensus on the correctness of this view. And Allah knows best.
Summary of the Research:
If due to some excuse the Sunnah of Aqiqah cannot be performed on the seventh day, then whenever there is an opportunity in life, Aqiqah should be done, and this is the preferred and correct view. (28 September 2011)
Benefits:
◈ Imam Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Dunya said:
حدثنا الحسين بن محمد: ثنا يزيد بن زريع عن حسين المعلم قال: سألت عطاء بن ابي رباح عن العقيقة فقال: عن الغلام شاتان وعن الجارية شاة، تذبح يوم السابع إن تيسر وإلا فأربع عشرة وإلا فإحدى وعشرين.
Husayn (bin Zikwan) Al-Mu’allim (Al-Awdi Al-Basri Al-Maktab) narrated that I asked Ata (bin Abi Rabah) about Aqiqah, and he said: For a boy, two goats, and for a girl, one goat. If possible, it should be slaughtered on the seventh day, and if not possible, then on the fourteenth day, and if still not possible, then on the twenty-first day.
The chain of this narration is authentic, and a brief mention of the narrators is as follows:
✔ Abu Ali Al-Husayn bin Muhammad bin Ayub Al-Zari’ Al-Sa’di Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him
صدوق
ثقة
He was declared trustworthy by Hafiz Ibn Hibban and others.
✔ Abu Muawiyah Yazid bin Zari’ Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him
ثقة ثبت / من رجال الستة
✔ Al-Husayn bin Zikwan Al-Mu’allim Al-Awdi Al-Maktab, may Allah have mercy on him
ثقة / من رجال الستة، وأخطأ من قال: “ربما وهم” وثقه الجمهور وجرح العقيلي وغيره فيه مردود.
✔ Ata bin Abi Rabah Al-Qurashi Al-Makki, may Allah have mercy on him
ثقة فقيه فاضل / من رجال الستة، وأخطأ من قال: “إنه تغير بآخره” ولم يكن ذلك منه، وكذلك أخطأ من قال: “لكنه كثير الإرسال” لأنه لا علاقة له هاهنا.
From the honorable statement of the trustworthy and venerable Tabi’i Imam Ata bin Abi Rabah, may Allah have mercy on him, it is understood that if Aqiqah cannot be done on the seventh day of the newborn’s birth, then it is permissible to do it on the fourteenth or twenty-first day.
◈ From a narration of Imam Ata: وإن لم يعق عنه فكسب الغلام عق عن نفسه. And if his Aqiqah was not done, then when the boy earns, he will perform his own Aqiqah.
The authentication of the narrator Tarif bin Isa Al-Anbari is only confirmed by Hafiz Ibn Hibban
, Mundhiri
, and Haithami
, but there is some observation in this authentication. And Allah knows best.
◈امام صالح بن احمد بن حنبل نے فرمايا: وكان يستحب لمن عق عن ولده أن يذبح عنه يوم السابع فإن لم يفعل ففي أربع عشرة فإن لم يفعل
And you (Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him) preferred that among your children whose Aqiqah you perform, it should be done on the seventh day, and if not possible, then on the fourteenth day, and if this (also) is not possible, then on the twenty-first day.
Considering the research of the book Tuhfat Al-Mawlood, this is the inclination that this statement is of Imam Ahmad.
◈ Ibn Hani said: I asked Abu Abdullah (Ahmad bin Hanbal) about the Prophet’s ﷺ hadith: الغلام مرتهن بعقيقته The child is held hostage because of his Aqiqah, what does it mean? He replied: نعم! سنة النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يعق عن الغلام شاتان وعن الجارية شاة، فإذا لم يعق عنه فهو محتبس بعقيقته حتى يعق عنه. Yes! It is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ that for a boy two goats and for a girl one goat should be sacrificed as Aqiqah. So if his Aqiqah is not done, he remains held hostage because of his Aqiqah until it is performed.
From this narration, it is established that Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, was in favor of performing Aqiqah even after the twenty-first day based on the hadith of being held hostage, and in this matter, Ibn Hazm is not unique.
◈ Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh said that Aqiqah should be done on the seventh day (as Ahmad said), and if not possible, then on the fourteenth day, and if not possible, then on the twenty-first day, and all these are Sunnah.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah said: والحجة على ذلك حديث سمرة المتقدم الغلام مرتهن بعقيقته، تذبح عنه يوم السابع ويسمى. And (performing Aqiqah after the seventh day) its evidence is the hadith of Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) which is the previous evidence: The child is held hostage because of his Aqiqah, on the seventh day his Aqiqah is done and he is named.
◈ Musa bin Ahmad bin Musa bin Salim bin Isa bin Salim Al-Maqdisi Al-Hajjawi Al-Kinani Al-Salihi (died 968 AH) wrote: فإن فات ففي إحدى وعشرين ولا تعتبر الأسابيع بعد ذلك فيعق بعد ذلك فى أى يوم أراد ولا تختص العقيقة بالصغير.
Then if (on the fourteenth day) it is not possible, then on the twenty-first day (Aqiqah should be done), and after that, the weeks have no significance, so one may perform Aqiqah on any day they wish, and Aqiqah is not specific to a small child.
