What is the best way to perform the Aqiqah, and what are its most important rulings?

The 'Aqiqah is the sacrifice slaughtered for a newborn. It is a confirmed Sunnah, where two equivalent sheep are sacrificed for a boy, and one sheep for a girl. It is Sunnah to slaughter it on the seventh day after birth. If that is missed, then on the fourteenth, and if not, then on the twenty-first. If that is not possible, then at any time when circumstances permit.

The one responsible for the 'Aqiqah is the one obligated to spend on the newborn from his own wealth. If the child reaches adulthood and no 'Aqiqah was offered for him, he should offer it for himself. Only an animal that is valid for Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is valid for 'Aqiqah, in terms of being free from defects. It may be eaten, given in charity, and given as gifts. There is no harm in breaking its bones.

The age that is valid for 'Aqiqah is the same as for Udhiyah: camels must be five years old, cattle two years, goats one year, and sheep six months. It is recommended to cook the entire 'Aqiqah before distributing it, though it is permissible to distribute it uncooked.