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Fatwa CenterHis father performed Aqeeqah for him after he had reached puberty
Question
Salam_O_Alaikum Brothers, In my region it is a general tradition that parents performing their children's Aqiqah at the time of any family member marriage function. Even my and my brothers Aqiqah was done by my parent at the time of my elder sister marriage. At that time my age was 16yrs. Now, through your website I come to know that it should be performed on 7th day or 14th day or 21st day after the birth of child or before reaching the age of puberty. If it was not done than the boy should do himself after being capable of doing this. My question is, Am i required to do again Aqiqah myself.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
We have already issued Fataawa 89873 and 87342 clarifying that the ‘Aqeeqah (i.e. the slaughtering done for a newborn) is a Sunnah, and that it is a Sunnah to slaughter it on the seventh day, and if not on the 14th day, and if not on the 21st day, and if not, then on any other day afterwards. However, there is no doubt that delaying it from the above days while being able to do it is contrary to the Sunnah.
If the father did not perform an 'Aqeeqah for the son, then it is said that it is permissible for the son to perform it himself if he is able to do so, but it is also said that it is to be performed only by the father.
However, in case the father had performed an 'Aqeeqah for his son even after the latter became pubescent, then this is sufficient and the son is not required to perform another 'Aqeeqah again for himself.
Ibn Qudaamah 
said: “In case there was no 'Aqeeqah at all done for the son, and the son reaches the age of puberty and he earns his living, then he is not required to perform ‘Aqeeqah on his own behalf. Imaam Ahmad was asked about this issue and he replied: “That is the father’s duty.”, meaning that the son should not perform the 'Aqeeqah on his own behalf because the Sunnah is that it is other people [i.e. the father or the guardian] who are required to perform it for him. Contrarily, ‘Attaa’ and Al-Hasan said: “He (the son) should perform the 'Aqeeqah on his own behalf because it should be performed for him, and he is mortgaged by it (i.e. he is confined from interceding for his parents or from some good that would otherwise reach him, until 'Aqeeqah is performed for him) so he should take the initiative to remove the mortgage from himself. In our view, it is the father who should perform it, so no one else should do it, (the son in this regard is) like any alien person and as it is the case of Zakatul-Fitr (obligatory charity given to the poor at the end of Ramadan).”
Therefore, since your father had performed the 'Aqeeqah for you, then you are not required to perform the 'Aqeeqah on behalf of your own self again.
Allaah Knows best.
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