Short answer
It is not part of the sunnah in the Hanafi school. Aqiqah is a thanksgiving for a living child, so it is not done after death, whether for a baby who died or an adult who never had one. You can give sadaqah or a voluntary qurbani for them instead, and the reward reaches them. The Shafi'i school still recommends aqiqah for a baby who died.
Aqiqah is done for a living child as thanks for the birth. Hanafi muftis say an aqiqah after death is not established from the sunnah; instead one gives charity or a nafl qurbani on the deceased's behalf, whose reward reaches them.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Aqiqah remains recommended for a baby who died, even before the seventh day.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ said that a child is held in pledge for its aqiqah, slaughtered on the seventh day, when it is named and its head shaved. These acts are for a living child. For this reason the Hanafi scholars do not count an aqiqah done after death as the sunnah.
Common situations:
- A baby who died soon after birth: no aqiqah is required. Name the baby, pray janazah if it was born alive, and trust that the child is in Jannah. See children who die and janazah for a stillborn baby.
- A parent or adult who never had an aqiqah: nothing is owed for them. Give sadaqah, feed people, or do a voluntary qurbani with the intention that the reward goes to them. See qurbani for a deceased person.
- A living adult who missed it: may still have it done. See late aqiqah.
The Prophet ﷺ said that when a person dies their deeds stop except for continuing charity, useful knowledge, and a righteous child who prays for them. So dua and charity are what benefit the dead. See sadaqah jariyah and the dua for the deceased.
The evidence
Sunan Abi Dawud 2838
Graded sahih... كل غلام رهينة بعقيقته تذبح عنه يوم سابعه ويحلق ويسمى ...
"Every child is held in pledge for its aqiqah, slaughtered on its seventh day, and its head is shaved and it is named."
Aqiqah is tied to a living newborn.
Sahih Muslim 1631
Sahih... إذا مات الإنسان انقطع عنه عمله إلا من ثلاث ...
"When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three."
Charity and dua are what benefit the dead.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Udhiyah, closing discussion on aqiqah. Aqiqah as thanks for a living child.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Chapter on aqiqah. The Shafi'i view that aqiqah remains recommended for a baby who died.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.