Aqiqah and naming in Muslim families

For many Muslim families the first week after a birth includes a few practices drawn from the Sunnah, the example of the Prophet Muhammad recorded in the hadith: the call to prayer said to the newborn, a first taste of date, a good name and, on the seventh day, the aqiqah, a sacrifice made for the child. Schools of law and individual scholars differ on the details, and families follow the guidance of the scholars they trust. This guide describes common practice and the texts behind it.

The seventh day

The best-known text is a hadith narrated by Samurah ibn Jundub in the Sunan of Abu Dawud: a child is held in pledge for his aqiqah, which is sacrificed for him on the seventh day, when his head is shaved and he is given a name. Al-Albani graded it sahih.

On the number of animals, a hadith from Aishah in Jami at-Tirmidhi says that two sheep suffice for a boy and one for a girl, and at-Tirmidhi called it hasan sahih. Another report there says that Fatimah shaved the head of her son al-Hasan and gave the weight of his hair in silver as charity. Hadith scholars differ on the strength of that report's chain. The meat is shared out: Banglapedia describes the usual division as a third for the poor and needy, a third for relatives and the rest for the family.

Choosing the name

The seventh day is the traditional time for the name, but hadith reports also describe names given sooner. In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet tells his companions that a son was born to him that night and that he has named him Ibrahim. In Sahih al-Bukhari, Abu Musa al-Ashari recalls taking his newborn son to the Prophet, who named him Ibrahim, performed tahnik by touching a little date to the baby's palate, and prayed for blessings on him.

On the choice itself, a hadith in Sahih Muslim says that the names dearest to Allah are Abdullah and Abdur-Rahman. In one fatwa, the fatwa department of Darul Uloom Deoband in India simply advises choosing a good name and holding the aqiqah on the seventh or fourteenth day if possible, or otherwise on the twenty-first.

The same fatwa advises reciting the adhan, the call to prayer, and the iqamah to the baby soon after birth. The practice is linked to a report in at-Tirmidhi that the Prophet said the adhan in the ear of al-Hasan when he was born. At-Tirmidhi graded it hasan sahih, while later scholars, including al-Albani, judged its chain weak.

Practice in India

Among Sunni Muslims in India the Hanafi school of law predominates. In Hanafi fiqh, as the fatwa department of Darul Uloom Deoband puts it, the aqiqah is sunnah and mustahab (recommended) rather than obligatory. Its fatwas describe two goats for a boy, if the family can afford it, and one for a girl, on the seventh or fourteenth day if possible, otherwise on the twenty-first. They also allow taking shares in a larger animal: two shares taken with the intention of aqiqah are enough for a boy. Shaving the baby's head and giving silver equal to the weight of the hair in charity are described as recommended.

Shia families follow the rulings of their own scholars. A Shia work on children in the Quran and Sunnah, citing the legal manual Tahrir al-Wasilah, describes the aqiqah as highly recommended on the seventh day and still recommended if it has to be delayed.

There is also a practical point. A birth in India must be reported within 21 days, so families waiting for the seventh day, or for elders to agree on a name, can register the birth first and add the name afterwards. Our guide to registering your baby's name explains how.

Sources

Checked 25 Oct 2026. Families and communities differ; this guide describes common practice.