Short answer
There is no fixed ceremony. The sunnah is to slaughter the animal on the seventh day with Allah's name, shave the baby's head, give silver in charity and name the child, then share the meat. In the Hanafi school a family meal or gathering is permissible as long as it stays free of waste and haram.
Aqiqah is mustahabb. Its core is the slaughter for the child with the tasmiyah (saying Allah's name), which is fard at the moment of slaughter. Everything else, such as a meal or inviting guests, is permissible custom, not part of the sunnah itself.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Recommends cooking the meat and sending it out cooked rather than raw, and many Shafi'i scholars recommend not breaking the animal's bones as a good omen for the child.
- Hanbali
- Close to the Shafi'i view: cooking the meat is preferred and not breaking the bones is recommended.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ said that a child is held in pledge for its aqiqah, which is slaughtered on the seventh day, when the head is shaved and the child is named. That one hadith is the whole outline of the day. Nothing else, no special prayer, cake or ritual, is required.
The steps, in a simple order:
- Slaughter: the animal is slaughtered for the child, by the father or anyone he appoints. The intention is in the heart. At the cut, say Bismillah, Allahu Akbar. See the dua for aqiqah.
- Shaving: shave the baby's head and give the weight of the hair in silver, or its value, to the poor. See shaving the head.
- Naming: announce the name if it was not given at birth. See naming the baby.
- The meat: share it raw or cooked with family, friends and the poor. Parents may eat from it.
The gathering: many families invite relatives for a meal on the day. In the Hanafi school this is fine, and feeding people is rewarded. Keep it simple: avoid debt, show, music, and free mixing. A gathering is not a condition. An aqiqah done quietly by a charity abroad is still a full aqiqah.
For the number of animals see how many goats for aqiqah, and work out the date with the aqiqah calculator.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Hajj 22:34
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍۢ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًۭا لِّيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّنۢ بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ ۗ فَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ فَلَهُۥٓ أَسْلِمُوا۟ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُخْبِتِينَ ﴿٣٤﴾
And for all religion We have appointed a rite [of sacrifice] that they may mention the name of Allah over what He has provided for them of [sacrificial] animals. For your god is one God, so to Him submit. And, [O Muhammad], give good tidings to the humble [before their Lord]
Sacrifices are made with Allah's name, which is why the tasmiyah is required at the slaughter.
Quran, Surah Al-Hajj 22:37
لَن يَنَالَ ٱللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَآؤُهَا وَلَٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٣٧﴾
Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good.
The point of the sacrifice is gratitude and taqwa, not display.
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, which is slaughtered for it on its seventh day, and its head is shaved and it is named."
Gives the three acts of the seventh day.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5471
Sahih... مع الغلام عقيقة ...
"With a child there is an aqiqah."
Confirms aqiqah as a sunnah for the newborn.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Udhiyah, closing discussion on aqiqah. Hanafi ruling on aqiqah and that its meat is treated like udhiyah meat.
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Udhiyah. Rules on the animal, the slaughter and the meat that aqiqah follows.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Chapter on aqiqah. Shafi'i recommendations on cooking the meat and not breaking the bones.
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.