Reading time: 5 min • Amanah Farm
The birth of a child is one of the greatest blessings Allah bestows upon a family. To mark this blessed moment according to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, the Aqiqa is a highly recommended act. But one question comes up constantly among new parents: how exactly do you calculate the 7th day? The calculation is not as straightforward as it seems, because the Islamic calendar works differently from the Western calendar.
What is the Aqiqa and why the 7th day?
« Every newborn is pledged for his Aqiqa, which should be slaughtered on his behalf on the seventh day, his head should be shaved, and he should be given a name. »
Reported by Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i — Authenticated by Al-Albani
This hadith is the primary reference scholars rely on. The Aqiqa is a sunna mu’akkada — a strongly recommended prophetic practice — consisting of slaughtering:
- One sheep for a girl
- Two sheep for a boy (ideally of the same age and size)
The essential rule: the night precedes the day in Islam
In Islam, the day begins at sunset (Maghrib prayer), not at midnight as in the Gregorian calendar. This has a direct impact on how to calculate the Aqiqa date.
🌙 Fundamental rule:
- If your child was born before sunset (before Maghrib): that day counts as Day 1.
- If your child was born after sunset (after Maghrib): that day does not count. The next day will be Day 1.
Practical example: Your child is born on a Tuesday evening, after Maghrib. According to the Islamic calendar, Tuesday night already belongs to Wednesday. Day 1 is therefore Wednesday, and the 7th day falls on the following Tuesday.
Day-by-day calculation table
This table assumes the birth occurred before sunset (before Maghrib). If the birth was after Maghrib, shift by one day.
| 🐣 DAY OF BIRTH | 🐑 7TH DAY (AQIQA) |
|---|---|
| Monday | Sunday |
| Tuesday | Monday |
| Wednesday | Tuesday |
| Thursday | Wednesday |
| Friday | Thursday |
| Saturday | Friday |
| Sunday | Saturday |
What if you couldn’t perform the Aqiqa on the 7th day?
| DELAY | DATE | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
| Day 7 (priority) | 7th day after birth | ✅ Recommended Sunnah — ideal act |
| Day 14 | 14th day | Valid if Day 7 not possible |
| Day 21 | 21st day | 3rd recommended delay |
| Beyond | Any day | Valid until adulthood |
Entrust your Aqiqa to Amanah Farm
- 🐑 races élevées en Algérie sheep raised free-range in Algeria 🇩🇿
- 🤲 Nominative halal slaughter performed in your name
- 📲 Video of your sacrifice sent directly via WhatsApp
- ❤️ Meat distributed to families in need through our partner Kafil El Yatim
- 💳 Simple and secure online ordering
🐑 Order your Aqiqa now → amanah-farm.org/produit/aqiqa/