‘Aqiqah is not Equal to al-’Adhiyah (animal offered as sacrificial offering during al-Hajj) and it is Sufficient in Place of ‘Aqiqah

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ أَصْحَابَنَا يَطْلُبُونَ الْعَقِيقَةَ إِذَا كَانَ إِبَّانُ تَقْدَمُ الْأَعْرَابُ فَيَجِدُونَ الْفُحُولَةَ وَ إِذَا كَانَ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ الْإِبَّانِ لَمْ تُوجَدْ فَتَعِزُّ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا هِيَ شَاةُ لَحْمٍ لَيْسَتْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْأُضْحِيَّةِ يُجْزِئُ مِنْهَا كُلُّ شَيْ‌ءٍ.

“Once I said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that our people can find animals for ‘Aqiqah when Arabs are around. They can find ram but in other seasons such an animal is difficult to find and it is expensive for them. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is only a sheep and it is not like the sacrificial offering for al-Hajj. Anything is

الْعَقِيقَةُ لَيْسَتْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْهَدْيِ خَيْرُهَا أَسْمَنُهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘ Aqiqah is not like the animal offering for al-Hajj. The fat one is better for Aqiqah.’”