Assalam alaikum,

My sister gave birth to a girl, and she wanted to have an aqiqah. Does her husband have to slaughter the animal himself? Or could she just buy the animal already slaughtered from the butcher?

May Allah bless you and reward you well.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful,

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessing be upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his household, his companions and those who have followed him. To proceed:

The Eid sacrifice is not the same as the sacrifice for the `aqiqah (birth ceremony); they are two separate rites altogether. The Sunnah in both is to slaughter the animal and to drain the blood, not just to give its value in charity or to compensate for them with meat bought from the butcher, unless the butcher has been authorized to slaughter on his behalf. There would be nothing wrong in that case, as long as you make sure of all the other conditions for the Eid sacrifice or `aqiqah concerning the animal he is to sacrifice for you.

May Allah increase you in knowledge and help you apply it.

And Allah Almighty is the Most High, and He knows best.