Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

Question on Aqeeqah.

· 6 Jumada I 1436 AH2 min readFatwa 32205English

Question

My apologies in advance if this question has been answered before.

My question is on AQEEQAH.

14 days ago we the parents and my family were blessed with a baby boy. His circum and hair shaving were both done on the 7th day. But I could not go ahead with the aqeeqah due to financial issues and wont be able to perform till the coming month.

We in Karachi, Pakistan have organizations like, Eidi, Saylani welfare, etc.

For Sadka the cost of a goat starts from Rs.3500 which is really small in size and looks like a 4-5 month old goat. Can we perform aqeeqah with those goats? as bigger or should I say, min. 2 teeth goats would cost around 10k each which is alot.

So can you please confirm if those small goats from Saylani or eidi can be considered or should I just get 2 normal sized goats / sheeps when ever I can.

Thank you in advance and my apologies if I offended anyone in anyway.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Aqeeqah is mustahab (commendable and desirable) and not fardh or wajib (necessary)[1]. If one does not have the financial means to perform Aqeeqah, one is not obliged to do so[2].

The preferred time for slaughtering the animal is on the seventh day upon the child's birth. If this is not possible, then the fourteenth day, if this is not possible either then the twenty first day and so on and so forth.[3]

In order to perform Aqeeqah, it is a condition that the goat/sheep be at least one year old[4]. If the sheep is six months old and healthy, to the extent that it looks like it could be one year old, then such a sheep (lamb) will suffice. However, in the case of a goat it must be one year old. If a person is financially unable to slaughter two sheep's/goats for his son, slaughtering one will suffice[5].

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Abdullah Ghadai

Student Darul Iftaa
Michigan, U.S.A

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

[1] Fatawaa Mahmoodiya Vol. 26 pg 417 Maktabah Farooq

[2] Fatawaa Mahmoodiya Vol 26 pg 417 Maktabah Mahmoodiya

[3] Bahisti Zewar, Part 3, pg 31.

Mas'ail Raf'et Qasimi Vol. 5 pg 203 Hamid Kutub Khana

[4] المبسوط للسرخسي (12/ 9)

ثُمَّ يَخْتَصُّ جَوَازُ الْأُضْحِيَّةِ بِالْإِبِلِ وَالْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ، وَلَا يُجْزِئُهُ إلَّا الثَّنِيُّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فِي الْإِبِلِ وَالْبَقَرِ وَالْمَعْزِ وَيُجْزِئ الْجَذَعُ مِنْ الضَّأْنِ إذَا كَانَ عَظِيمًا سَمِينًا لِمَا رُوِيَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ - قَالَ «ضَحُّوا بِالثَّنِيَّاتِ، وَلَا تُضَحُّوا بِالْجِذْعَانِ»، وَلِأَنَّ الْجَذَعَ نَاقِصٌ، وَقَدْ أُمِرْنَا فِي الضَّحَايَا بِالِاسْتِعْظَامِ وَالِاسْتِشْرَافِ قَالَ - عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ - «عَظِّمُوا ضَحَايَاكُمْ فَإِنَّهَا عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ مَطَايَاكُمْ».

فَأَمَّا الْجَذَعُ مِنْ الضَّأْنِ يُجْزِئُ لِحَدِيثِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ - أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَاقَ جَذَعًا إلَى مِنًى فَبَادَتْ عَلَيْهِ فَرَوَى أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ - أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ «نِعْمَتْ الْأُضْحِيَّةُ الْجَذَعُ مِنْ الضَّأْنِ فَانْتَهِبُوهَا»، ثُمَّ الثَّنِيُّ مِنْ الْغَنَمِ وَهُوَ الَّذِي تَمَّ لَهُ سَنَتَانِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْأَدَبِ، وَعِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْفِقْهِ الَّذِي تَمَّتْ لَهُ سَنَةٌ وَالثَّنِيُّ مِنْ الْبَقَرِ الَّذِي تَمَّ لَهُ حَوْلَانِ وَطَعَنَ فِي الثَّالِثِ عِنْدَ جُمْهُورِ الْفُقَهَاءِ - رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ - وَمِنْ الْإِبِلِ الَّذِي تَمَّ لَهُ خَمْسُ سِنِينَ وَالْجَذَعُ مِنْ الْإِبِلِ مَا تَمَّ لَهُ خَمْسُ سِنِينَ وَمِنْ الْبَقَرِ مَا تَمَّ لَهُ حَوْلَانِ وَهَكَذَا مِنْ الْغَنَمِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْأَدَبِ، وَعِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْفِقْهِ إذَا تَمَّ لَهُ سَبْعَةُ أَشْهُرٍ فَهُوَ جَذَعٌ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ، وَلَا خِلَافَ أَنَّ الْجَذَعَ مِنْ الْمَعْزِ لَا يَجُوزُ، وَإِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ مِنْ الضَّأْنِ خَاصَّةً.

[5] Kifayatul Mufti Vol 10 pg 239 Daarul Ish'aat

Answered by
Abdullah Ghadai
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/32205
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