When should Aqiqah be performed?

Traditionally on the newborn's 7th day, though most scholars hold it remains valid if performed later — it isn't invalidated by delay.

What happens to the meat?

Similar to Qurbani, it's traditionally divided into thirds for the family, relatives/friends, and the poor, though practice varies — many families today donate the meat entirely to charity or arrange it through an Islamic charity's Aqiqah service.

Is Aqiqah obligatory?

No — it's a Sunnah (a strongly recommended practice following the Prophet's ﷺ example), not an obligatory duty like Zakat. Financial hardship is a valid reason to delay or forgo it.

Can a cow or camel be used instead of a sheep or goat?

The majority position is that Aqiqah specifically requires sheep or goats, not cattle or camels (unlike Qurbani, where larger animals can be shared among multiple people) — though this is a point some scholars discuss further. This calculator assumes sheep/goats, the mainstream position.

All tools

Islamic Tools

Aqiqah Cost Calculator

Estimated cost of the Sunnah newborn sacrifice — 2 animals for a boy, 1 for a girl.

🔒 Runs entirely in your browser — nothing here is ever uploaded

Remove ads →

Last reviewed 2026-09-07

About the Aqiqah Cost Calculator

Estimates the cost of Aqiqah — the Sunnah sacrifice celebrating a newborn — from the animal count (by the baby's gender) and your local price per animal.

100% Free Runs in Your Browser No Sign-Up Required

How to use it

Select the baby's gender (sets the traditional animal count).
Adjust the animal count if your own practice differs.
Enter the local price per sheep/goat.
Read the estimated total cost.

Formula

Total cost = number of animals × price per animal.

Worked example

A boy, 2 animals at $180 each: $360 total estimated cost.

Interpreting your result

The majority position, based on hadith recording the Prophet's ﷺ own practice, is two sheep or goats for a boy and one for a girl. A minority position — citing the narration that only one ram each was sacrificed for his grandsons Hasan and Hussain — accepts one animal for either gender, which is why the animal count is editable rather than fixed. There's no single real-world price for an animal: cost varies hugely by country and market (cited examples range from roughly $70 per animal in South Asia to $150-200 in the US and UK, and higher for premium animals in the Gulf), so this calculator takes your own local price rather than asserting one.

Recommendations

• Many Islamic charities offer Aqiqah as a service (they source and distribute the meat on your behalf) at a published price — checking a couple of these gives a quick real-world price-per-animal estimate for your region even if you're not using their service.

Frequently asked questions

The majority, hadith-based view is two sheep or goats for a boy and one for a girl. A minority position accepts one animal for either gender, citing the narration about the Prophet's ﷺ grandsons.