Does aqiqah for a child have to be done on the seventh day after the birth of the child or can it be done at a later stage?

Does aqiqah for a child have to be done on the seventh day after the birth of the child or can it be done at a later stage? 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

[i]Aqeeqah is not compulsory to be done, it is rather Mustahabb. The best is to do it when the child has turned 7 days of age. For instance, if the child is born on a Saturday, then it is best to have the Aqeeqah done on the Friday. If this was skipped due to some reason, then any other subsequent Friday will do.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Khalil Johnson

Student Darul Iftaa
Canada 

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai