is obtained through a girl, so an aqiqah is not legislated for her. As for us, the hadith of Aisha and Umm Kurz (4) is our evidence, and this is an explicit text, while what they narrated is to be interpreted as being permissible. Once this is established, it is recommended that the two sheep be identical, due to the saying of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "Two equivalent sheep" (5). In one narration: "Two identical ones." Ahmad said: Meaning identical in the hadith of Umm Kurz, that she heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) say: "For the boy are two equivalent sheep, and for the girl one sheep; and there is no harm if they are (6) male or female." It was recorded by Sa'id and Abu Dawud (7). The male is better, because the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) performed the aqiqah for al-Hasan and al-Husayn with one ram each, and offered two horned rams as a sacrifice (Udhiyah). The aqiqah follows the same course as the Udhiyah. The best in terms of color is white, based on what we have mentioned regarding the Udhiyah, because it resembles it. It is also recommended that it be fat, large, and generally excellent. If one deviates from this, or performs the aqiqah with one ram, it is sufficient, due to what we have narrated from the hadith of al-Hasan and al-Husayn.

1771 - Issue; He said: (And it is slaughtered on the seventh day)

Our companions said: The Sunnah is that it be slaughtered on the seventh day; if that time is missed, then on [the fourteenth], and if that is missed, on the twenty-first. This is also narrated from Aisha, and Ishaq held this view. From Malik, regarding a man who wishes to perform the aqiqah for his child, he said: "I do not know this to be the practice of the people, and it does not please me." We are not aware of any disagreement among the people of knowledge who believe in its legitimacy regarding the recommendation of slaughtering it on the seventh day. The basis for this is the hadith of Samurah, from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), that he said: "Every boy is held in pledge by his aqiqah; it is slaughtered for him on his seventh day, he is named on it, and his head is shaved" (3). As for it being on the fourteenth, then on the twenty-first, the evidence for it is the statement of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), and this is a specific estimation; the obvious implication is that she would not say such a thing except through instruction (tawqifan) from the Prophet. If one slaughters before...