Last updated: 14 October 2026 | Written for Eid ul Adha 2027
Qurbani Easy Editorial Team • Advised by our panel of Islamic scholars
Quick Answer: The Hanafi answers we opened say that the parents and grandparents of the child may eat the Aqeeqah meat, that it may be cooked before it is given out, and that there is no maximum limit when distributing it to one’s own family. We did not find a Shafi’i, Maliki or Hanbali answer to open, so we do not state their view. When you book an Aqeeqah with Qurbani Easy, the meat is 100% distributed to people in need.
A common worry is that parents must not eat from their own child’s Aqeeqah. This guide sets out what the answers we could open say, and nothing beyond them.
What the Hanafi answers say
| Source | Answer |
|---|---|
| MuftiOnline.co.za | Can the parents and grandparents eat the meat? “Yes.” |
| AskMufti.co.za | The parents can keep and eat from the Aqeeqah meat of their child. |
| Askimam (Darul Iftaa) | It is permissible to cook the meat before giving it to the recipients; the parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and so on may eat it; it may be given to students in a school. |
| Darul Iftaa Birmingham | No maximum limit when distributing to one’s own family. |
The Askimam answer also says that the Aqiqah is mustahab, two sheep for a boy and one for a girl, with one sheep enough if two cannot be afforded, and that it may be done on the 7th, then the 14th, then the 21st day. We repeat this only as that answer states it; see why the 7th day is considered afzal for the 7th day.
What we could not source
We did not find a Shafi’i, Maliki or Hanbali answer to open, so no school difference is shown here. We also did not find a source we could open that says the meat must be divided in thirds, so we do not state it. Please ask your own scholar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the parents eat the Aqeeqah meat?
The Hanafi answers we opened say yes: MuftiOnline.co.za says the parents and grandparents may eat it; AskMufti.co.za says the parents can keep and eat from it; Darul Iftaa (Askimam) says the parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and so on may eat it.
Can the meat be cooked before it is given out?
The Askimam answer (Darul Iftaa) says it is permissible to cook the meat before giving it to the recipients.
Is there a limit to how much goes to the family?
The Darul Iftaa Birmingham answer says there is no maximum limit when distributing the Aqiqah meat to one’s own family.
What do the Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali schools say?
We did not open an answer from those schools on this question, so we do not state their view. Ask your scholar.
What happens to the meat when I book an Aqeeqah with Qurbani Easy?
The meat is 100% distributed to people in need; there is no home delivery to the baby’s family or to you. This guide covers the religious question only.
Related guides: who can do the Aqeeqah; Akika, Aqiqah and Aqeeqah spellings.
To arrange an Aqeeqah, you can book Aqeeqah online on our website.
Citation Sources
• MuftiOnline.co.za (Hanafi), “Who can consume aqeeqah meat?” — islamqa.org — parents and grandparents may eat it.
• AskMufti.co.za (Hanafi), “Parents keeping Aqeeqah meat” — islamqa.org — parents can keep and eat it.
• Askimam (Hanafi, Darul Iftaa), “Aqeeqah 4” — islamqa.org — cooking; parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts may eat.
• Darul Iftaa Birmingham (Hanafi), “Maximum limit of distributing aqeeqa meat” — islamqa.org — no maximum limit for one’s own family.
Madhab note: only Hanafi answers were opened for this question; we did not find a Shafi’i, Maliki or Hanbali source we could open, so we do not state their view. Booking facts come from the Qurbani Easy booking pages.