re: #43 CuriousLurker

There is no set time frame within which Muslims are required to do it, though it is Sunnah to do it at the time of the aqiqah.¹

Nowadays many people just do it at the hospital, however in various places it is traditionally done when the child is a good bit older.

Additionally, it isn’t considered wajib (obligatory) in the Hanfi & Maliki schools of jurisprudence, but it IS considered so in the Shafi`i & Hanbali schools.²

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1. The aqiqah is an animal sacrifice (sheep, goat, cow, etc) is performed 7 days after the birth of a child (7 days is also sunnah), though it may be done at 14 or 21 days, or whenever the parents are able, if I’m not mistaken. The meat of the animal(s) is distributed to the poor.

2. In the Hanfi & Maliki schools it is considered Sunnah Mu’akkadah (highly recommended), but not obligatory. See the Wiki page for more info.

Thanks! Jews do it 8 days after birth, usually by a mohel and sometimes the mohel is a physician, so definitely similar, although I’d say more spiritually meaningful in Judaism.

The larger problem for me is outlawing religious practice. It’s usually part and parcel of worse things to come.