Should she offer a sacrifice (udhiyah) or offer ‘aqeeqah for herself, as her father did not offer ‘aqeeqah on her behalf?
Question

                A 39 years old woman wants to sacrifice an animal. It was said to her that she should make ‘Aqeeqah (the sacrifice which has to be done after the birth of a son) for herself first as her father did not do it for her when she was born. Her husband did not do ‘Aqeeqah for their children either. They have a daughter and a son. Should she make ‘Aqeeqah for her children and herself? Or as for the children it should be done by their father? She has a 15 years old daughter and a 16 years old son. Is ‘Aqeeqah compulsory or it becomes cancelled if the child reaches adulthood?.
Praise be to Allah.
    Firstly: 

    ‘Aqeeqah is a 
    confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah mu’akkadah) according to the correct view. This has 
    been explained in the answer to question no.
    20018. The one who is 
    addressed here is the father; it is not required of the mother or the 
    children. 

    The duty to 
    offer ‘aqeeqah is not waived when the child reaches puberty. If the father 
    is able then it is mustahabb for him to offer ‘aqeeqah on behalf of his 
    children for whom he did not yet offer ‘aqeeqah. 

    If the father 
    did not offer ‘aqeeqah for his child, is it prescribed for the child or 
    anyone else to offer ‘aqeeqah on his behalf? The fuqaha’ differed concerning 
    that, but the correct view is that this is prescribed and is mustahabb. 

    Ibn Qudaamah 
    (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (9/364): If ‘aqeeqah 
    was not offered at all and the child reaches puberty and earns a living, 
    then he does not have to offer ‘aqeeqah. Ahmad was asked about this matter 
    and he said: That applies to the father, i.e., he should not offer ‘aqeeqah 
    for himself; the Sunnah has to do with someone else (namely the father). 

    ‘Ata’ and 
    al-Hasan said: he may offer ‘aqeeqah for himself, because it is prescribed 
    for him and because he is held in pledge for it, so it should be prescribed 
    for him to release himself. 

    And we think 
    that it is prescribed for the father and no one else should do it. End 
    quote. 

    Ibn al-Qayyim 
    (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Tuhfat al-Mawdood fi Ahkaam 
    al-Mawlood: Chapter nineteen: The ruling on one whose parents did not do 
    ‘aqeeqah for him; should he offer ‘aqeeqah for himself when he reaches 
    puberty? Al-Khallaal said: Chapter on what is recommended for one for whom 
    ‘aqeeqah was not done when he was small and he may offer ‘aqeeqah for 
    himself when he is an adult. Then he quoted some of the discussion of 
    Ismaa’eel narrated from Sa’eed al-Shaalinji who said: I asked Ahmad about a 
    man whose father told him that he had not offered ‘aqeeqah for him, could he 
    offer ‘aqeeqah for himself? He said: That is the duty of the father. 

    Al-Maymooni 
    said: I said to Abu ‘Abd-Allaah: If ‘aqeeqah was not done for a person, 
    could it be done for him when he is an adult? He mentioned something that 
    was narrated concerning (‘aqeeqah for) an adult, but he classed it as da’eef 
    (weak). But he regarded it as something good, if ‘aqeeqah was not done for 
    him when he was small, for it to be done for him when he is an adult. He 
    said: If a person does that, I would not disapprove of it. He said: ‘Abd 
    al-Malik told me elsewhere that he said to Abu ‘Abd-Allaah: Should ‘aqeeqah 
    be offered for him when he is an adult? He said: I did not hear anything 
    about an adult. I said: His father was poor then he became well off and he 
    does not want to leave his son without offering ‘aqeeqah for him. He said: I 
    do not know and I did not hear anything with regard to an adult. Then he 
    said to me: But if someone who does it, that is good, and there are some 
    people who regard it as obligatory. End quote. 

    Shaykh Ibn 
    Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after quoting these words: 

    The first view 
    is more correct, which is that it is mustahabb to offer ‘aqeeqah on behalf 
    of oneself, because ‘aqeeqah is a confirmed Sunnah but the father omitted to 
    do it, so it is prescribed for him to do it if he is able. That is because 
    of the general meaning of the ahaadeeth, such as the words of the Prophet 
     (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Every child is in pledge 
    for his ‘aqeeqah which should be sacrificed for him on the seventh day, and 
    his head should be shaved and he should be given a name.” Narrated by Imam 
    Ahmad and the authors of al-Sunan from Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allaah 
    be pleased with him) with a saheeh isnaad. And Umm Karaz al-Ka’biyyah 
    narrated that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 
    enjoined that ‘aqeeqah be done for a boy with two sheep and for a female 
    with one sheep, as was narrated by the five. Al-Tirmidhi narrated and 
    classed as saheeh a similar report from ‘Aa’ishah. This is not addressed 
    only to the father; rather it also includes the child, the mother and other 
    relatives of the newborn. End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn 
    Baaz (26/266). 

    Based on this, 
    it may be said to the sister who is asking this question: You may offer 
    ‘aqeeqah on behalf of yourself, or on behalf of your children if their 
    father did not offer ‘aqeeqah on their behalf. 

    Secondly: 

    Udhiyah is a 
    confirmed Sunnah and is prescribed for both men and women. One udhiyah is 
    sufficient on behalf of a man and the members of his household, or on behalf 
    of a woman and the members of her household. 

    This woman may 
    offer a sacrifice, whether her husband also offers a sacrifice or not.  

    If she offers 
    a sacrifice, that will suffice for her ‘aqeeqah too. 

    Ibn al-Qayyim 
    (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Chapter eighteen on the ruling on 
    combining ‘aqeeqah and udhiyah. 

    Al-Khallaal 
    said: Chapter on what was narrated about the udhiyah sufficing for the 
    ‘aqeeqah too. 

    ‘Abd al-Malik 
    al-Maymooni told us that he said to Abu ‘Abd-Allaah (i.e., Imam Ahmad): Is 
    it permissible to offer the udhiyah on behalf of a child instead of the 
    ‘aqeeqah? He said: I do not know. Then he said: More than one said that. I 
    said: From among the Taabi’een? He said: Yes.  

    And ‘Abd 
    al-Malik told me elsewhere that Abu ‘Abd-Allaah said that some of them said 
    that if he offers an udhiyah that will suffice for the ‘aqeeqah too. 

    ‘Usmah ibn 
    ‘Isaam told us: Hambal narrated to us that Abu ‘Abd-Allaah said: I hope that 
    the udhiyah will suffice for the ‘aqeeqah too, in sha Allaah, for the one 
    who did not offer ‘aqeeqah. 

    ‘Usmah ibn 
    ‘Isaam told us elsewhere: Hanbal told us that Abu ‘Abd-Allaah said: If a 
    sacrifice (udhiyah) is offered on his behalf, the udhiyah will suffice for 
    the ‘aqeeqah. He said: And I saw Abu ‘Abd-Allaah buying an udhiyah that he 
    sacrificed on behalf of himself and his family, and his son ‘Abd-Allaah was 
    small when he sacrificed it. I think he intended thereby to do the ‘aqeeqah 
    and the udhiyah, and he shared out the meat and ate some of it. End quote 
    from Tuhfat al-Mawdood. 

    See also the 
    answers to questions no. 38197 
    and 20018. 

    And Allaah 
    knows best.