Who's talking about whether its obligatory?Originally posted by Abdulla:
The ‘Aqiqa’ or sacrifice at the birth of a new-born is not a ‘fard’ or obligatory duty in Islam; it is a voluntary deed and a recommended Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).
And the above sunnah is definately not a pagan ritual.
And yes, it was originally a pagan ritual which was modified. Learn your own hadiths before making ignorant claims:
Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib: When a boy was born to one of us in the pre-Islamic period, we sacrificed a sheep and smeared his head with its blood; but when Allah brought Islam, we sacrificed a sheep, shaved his head and smeared his head with saffron. - Abu Dawud