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Is it permissible for the 'aqiqah to be performed with two females instead of two males, even though the intention was for two males?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Al-Tirmidhi narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded that for a boy, two equivalent sheep should be sacrificed for the aqiqah, and for a girl, one sheep. It is not a condition that the two sheep be male; rather, a female is sufficient, based on what Umm Kurz narrated, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "For a boy, two sheep, and for a girl, one sheep. It does not matter to you whether they are male or female." This hadith is hasan (good). What you slaughtered as aqiqah for your child is sufficient if it has reached the age that makes it permissible. As for the merchant, he can be asked to pay the price difference if there is a difference in price between male and female.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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