The Imam -asws said, ‘Yes, it is obligatory.

The Imam -asws said, ‘Yes, it is obligatory.’ [16] No Charity Would Replace the Obligatory Aqiqah أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُكَيْرٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَجَاءَهُ رَسُولُ عَمِّهِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَقُولُ لَكَ عَمُّكَ إِنَّا طَلَبْنَا الْعَقِيقَةَ فَلَمْ نَجِدْهَا فَمَا تَرَى نَتَصَدَّقُ بِثَمَنِهَا فَقَالَ لَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ إِطْعَامَ الطَّعَامِ وَ إِرَاقَةَ الدِّمَاءِ Abu Ali al-Ashariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar, who from Safwan, who from’ Abd Allah ibn Bukayr who has said the following: “Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah -asws , when a messenger from his uncle came and said, ‘Your uncle says, “We tried to find ‘Aqiqah but could not find one, Do you think our giving its price in charity is sufficient?”’ Imam -asws said, ‘No, Allah -azwj Loves feeding of food and slaughtering animals (to feed the needy)!’ [17] عَلِيٌّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مَرَّارٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ وَ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ جَمِيعاً عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْخَزَّازِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ وُلِدَ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع غُلَامَانِ جَمِيعاً فَأَمَرَ زَيْدَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ أَنْ يَشْتَرِيَ لَهُ جَزُورَيْنِ لِلْعَقِيقَةِ وَ كَانَ زَمَنُ غَلَاءٍ فَاشْتَرَى لَهُ وَاحِدَةً وَ عَسُرَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْأُخْرَى فَقَالَ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَدْ عَسُرَتْ عَلَيَّ الْأُخْرَى فَتَصَدَّقْ بِثَمَنِهَا فَقَالَ لَا اطْلُبْهَا حَتَّى تَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهَا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يُحِبُّ إِهْرَاقَ الدِّمَاءِ وَ إِطْعَامَ الطَّعَامِ Ali has narrated from his father, who from “Ismail ibn Marrar from Yunus and ibn abu ‘Umayr all from abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: ‘Two sons at the same time were born to abu Ja’far -asws .