Short answer
The aqiqah is first the duty of whoever must provide for the child, normally the father. But anyone may do it for the child: the mother, a grandparent, an uncle or the person himself as an adult. The Prophet ﷺ did the aqiqah for his grandsons al-Hasan and al-Husayn. In the Hanafi school it is valid and rewarded whoever pays.
The aqiqah is recommended for the one responsible for the child's maintenance, usually the father. It is valid when done by a grandparent or other relative as a voluntary act, ideally with the parents' knowledge. It should be paid from the payer's own money, not from the child's savings.
Other madhhabs
- Hanbali
- The relied-upon view addresses aqiqah to the father, and some Hanbali scholars said others should not do it unless the father has died or refuses.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ did the aqiqah for al-Hasan and al-Husayn, the sons of his daughter Fatimah and Ali, one ram for each. Their father was alive, so this shows that a grandparent may do it. He also said that whoever has a child and wishes to sacrifice for it may do so, which addresses the parent first.
In practice:
- The father is the first one asked to do it, since he provides for the child.
- A grandparent or relative may offer it as a gift. Agree with the parents first, so it is not done twice and the parents' wishes are respected.
- The mother may do it from her own money, for example if the father is absent or cannot afford it.
- The person himself may do his own aqiqah as an adult if it was never done. See late aqiqah.
Whose money? Pay from your own wealth. A guardian should not spend a child's own savings or gifts on a voluntary act like aqiqah, since a child's property may only be spent on what benefits the child. See parents and their children's money.
Two people doing it: if a grandparent and the father both slaughter, both are rewarded, and the extra animal is simply more charity. Coordinate as a family. Plan the animals with the aqiqah calculator, and see how many goats.
The evidence
Sunan Abi Dawud 2841
Graded sahih... عق عن الحسن والحسين كبشا كبشا ...
"He did the aqiqah for al-Hasan and al-Husayn with one ram each."
A grandparent may do the aqiqah for a grandchild.
Sunan Abi Dawud 2842
Graded hasan... من ولد له ولد فأحب أن ينسك عنه فلينسك ...
"Whoever has a child born to him and wishes to sacrifice for it, let him do so."
The parent is the first one addressed.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Udhiyah, closing discussion on aqiqah. The Hanafi treatment of aqiqah as a recommended sacrifice following the rules of udhiyah.
- Kashshaf al-Qina', Chapter on aqiqah. The Hanbali view that aqiqah is addressed to the father.
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.