Can the child for whom Aqeeqah is done, eat the meat himself? (After all the distribution is done per shariah) and must the meat be distributed in a cooked form or raw meat? And is Aqeeqah still valid if one has become baligh?
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Aqeeqah is the sacrificial animal offered on the occasion of birth.[1] The practice of Aqeeqah is Sunnat.[2] To offer Aqeeqah on the 7th day following the birth of the child is preferable. Aqeeqah can also be done after one has passed the age of physical maturity.[3] Generally Aqeeqah is offered after the birth of the child when it is impossible for the child to partake of the Aqeeqah. However if the Aqeeqah was done later in life it would be permissible for one to consume of his/her own Aqeeqah.[4] It may also be distributed both cooked and raw.[5]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mawlana Ali bin Cassim
Student Darul Iftaa
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net
[1]مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح (7/ 2686)
بابُ الْعَقِيقَةِ.
الْمُغْرِبُ: الْعَقُّ الشَّقُّ وَمِنْهُ عَقِيقَةُ الْمَوْلُودِ وَهِيَ شَعْرُهُ، لِأَنَّهُ يُقْطَعُ عَنْهُ يَوْمَ أُسْبُوعِهِ وَبِهَا سُمِّيَتِ الشَّاةُ الَّتِي تُذْبَحُ عَنْهُ.
[2]النتف في الفتاوى للسغدي (1/ 241)
واما السّنة فَهِيَ على ثَلَاثَة اوجه
احدها الاضحية فِي قَول ابي عبد الله وابي يُوسُف وَمُحَمّد وَالشَّافِعِيّ وَهِي وَاجِبَة فِي قَول ابي حنيفَة
وَالثَّانِي عقيقة الْغُلَام
[3]تنقيح الفتاوى الحامدية (6/ 367)
وَفِي فُصُولِ الْعَلَّامِيِّ الْمُسَمَّى بِالْكَرَاهِيَةِ وَالِاسْتِحْسَانِ فِي الْفَصْلِ 36 وَيَعُقُّ عَنْهُ فِي الْيَوْمِ السَّابِعِ مِنْ الْوِلَادَةِ قَالَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ { الْعَقِيقَةُ حَقٌّ عَنْ الْغُلَامِ شَاتَانِ وَعَنْ الْجَارِيَةِ شَاةٌ } وَقَدْ { عَقَّ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ بَعْدَمَا بُعِثَ نَبِيًّا }
[5]الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (6/ 336)
، وَهِيَ شَاةٌ تَصْلُحُ لِلْأُضْحِيَّةِ تُذْبَحُ لِلذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثَى سَوَاءٌ فَرَّقَ لَحْمَهَا نِيئًا أَوْ طَبَخَهُ بِحُمُوضَةٍ أَوْ بِدُونِهَا