What is the ruling on one who performs the 'aqiqah with more than two rams?

The questioner : Is it permissible to do more than that?

The Shaykh : More than that?

The questioner : I mean two sheep.

The Shaykh : Are you asking a hypothetical question or a practical one?

The questioner : No, it is practical; some people, for example, slaughter four, five, or six.

The Shaykh : Well, regarding these people you are talking about, when they slaughtered four, say it clearly: did they slaughter them on the basis that it was an 'aqiqah, or on the basis that it was a custom?

The questioner : Allah knows best.

The Shaykh : How? Allah knows best.

The questioner : I am asking, for example,

The Shaykh : How? Allah knows best. We are talking about what happened on the ground among us, not in the sky, so you cannot say that.

The questioner : By Allah, I have heard of people, but I do not know, for example, ...

The Shaykh : I am telling you, allow me, this is about a custom. I tell you categorically it is a custom and Arab generosity, and the Arabs are known for their generosity and hospitality, and so on. But in any case, I do not want my answer to fail to satisfy your desire for a response to your question, so I will say: if one slaughters two sheep considering them to be the obligatory ones, and then adds more while knowing that this addition is not obligatory upon him, then it is said here: This is like, for example, if you were obligated to give one hundred dinars from your zakah, and you gave one hundred and five. Who would tell you that it is not permissible to give one hundred and five? The one hundred is the individual obligatory fard, and the five is voluntary; there is no harm in that, but on the condition that you know what is obligatory upon you. And in our case, which is more precise regarding the matter, and this is what our companion mentioned earlier,Abu Layla : that he completed the topic so that he would have a complete recording on the rulings concerning the newborn, that it was, for example, recommended that he shave his head and give charity equal to the weight of his hair in silver. The ruling is like this: silver. Now, silver has no value compared to gold. I have, in practice, and may Allah be praised, been blessed with more than fourteen children, most of whom are still alive, and a few of whom Allah has taken.
The point is, it never occurred to me to give charity equal to the weight of his hair in silver, because what would be done with it? At that time, in the era of the Turks that we experienced, there was something called a majidi, something called a half majidi, something called an abu al-mi'ah, and something called a barghut, which is small and thin, meaning it weighs nothing significant. So what would one give in charity that has no value? So we would go to the goldsmith and put the hair on this scale and say, "Brother, how much is its weight in gold?" My intention in saying this is that what is obligatory upon me might, in your opinion, be half a dinar or much less than that. So I know my obligation, but let me give charity of five dinars, meaning its weight is five dinars of gold. There is no harm in this. The important thing is to distinguish what is upon you and what is permissible for you. If you know that sheep are upon you and you sacrifice ten—excuse me, you perform the 'aqiqah with ten—no one would tell you otherwise. But as for you slaughtering four while you do not know what is obligatory upon you, this is not permissible. The answer is clear. May Allah reward you with good.
Do we pray, or after, if Allah wills, even if it is after an hour? May Allah reward you with good. Let us go.