Is it allowed to send the price of Aqiqah to my brother who lives in Saudi Arabia to buy the sheep and slaughter it there as its price in Saudi Arabia is less than its price here in Palestine؟

Answer

Praise Be to Allah and Peace Be Upon His Messenger.

Referring to your question, it is much preferred to slaughter the Aqiqah in the country where the father and the baby live. Nevertheless, there is no objection to sacrificing for the newborn baby in another country where the price is less. For the baby boy, the Aqiqah is two sheep, and for the baby girl, it is only one sheep. However, it is allowed to slaughter one sheep for the baby boy. Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussain, the general Mufti for Jerusalem and the Palestinian Lands was once asked a similar question. He was asked whether it is allowed to sacrifice for the baby girl in Saudi Arabia during performing Umrah, and that was because the price of the sheep in Medina was equal to NIS 680 ($ 204.12)  while in Palestine it was almost NIS 2500 ($ 785.08) .

He answered: “The Aqiqah is what is sacrificed as a thank to Allah Who has granted you the baby; there are certain conditions which must be available when slaughtering the sheep. It is also a confirmed act of Sunna. The messenger of Allah said: “Along with a baby, there is an Aqiqah, so shed blood on his behalf, and remove injury from them.” Related by Bukhari.

It is an act of Sunnah to slaughter two sheep for a baby boy, and one sheep for a baby girl. It was narrated byUmm Kurz that the messenger of Allah said: “For a boy, two similar sheep (almost same age, weight, and health) and for a girl, one sheep.”  Sunnan Abi Dwaood

The Aqiqah is slaughtered in the country where the baby is born, but if it is difficult to slaughter there, a Muslim can slaughter it elsewhere as the final purpose of it is to gain the reward. Allah says: “It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him. Thus, have We made them subject to you that you may magnify Allah for His Guidance to you. And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) to the Muhsineen (doers of good). Al-Hajj: 37