The Ruling:
For a boy, two goats should be sacrificed, and for a girl, one goat. This is established from the Hadith of Umm Karz al-Kaʿbiyyah رضي الله عنها:
[Abū Dāwūd: 2834, Kitāb al-Ḍaḥāyā: Bāb fī al-ʿAqīqah, Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl 4/390]
However, another narration states:
عن ابن عباس رضى الله عنهما أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم علق عن الحسن و الحسين كبشا كبشا
“Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sacrificed one ram each on behalf of Ḥasan رضي الله عنه and Ḥusayn رضي الله عنه.”
[Abū Dāwūd: 2841, Kitāb al-Ḍaḥāyā: Bāb fī al-ʿAqīqah; al-Nasāʾī 7/165; Mushkil al-Āthār 1/457; ʿAbd al-Razzāq: 7862]
Shaykh al-Albānī رحمه الله said:
This narration is authentic, but the version in Sunan al-Nasāʾī mentioning “two rams each” (كَبْشَيْن كَبْشَيْن) is even more authentic.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd: 2466]
Scholarly Discussion:
➊ The Ahadith that mention “two goats” carry an additional detail and are therefore more deserving of acceptance. This is further supported by another narration from Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما stating that the Prophet ﷺ sacrificed two rams each for Ḥasan and Ḥusayn رضي الله عنهما.
➋ Statement over action takes precedence—even though the Prophet ﷺ sacrificed one animal in one instance, he commanded that two animals be sacrificed for a boy, which carries greater weight.
➌ The fact that the Prophet ﷺ, on one occasion, sacrificed just one animal shows that two animals are not obligatory but recommended (mustahabb). Thus, one animal is permissible, but two are better and closer to the Sunnah.
[Nayl al-Awṭār 3/501]
✿ Shaykh al-Albānī رحمه الله concluded:
The narration of one ram is authentic, but the narration of two rams is even stronger.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd: 2466]
✅ Conclusion:
- For a boy, two animals should be sacrificed—this is the stronger Sunnah.
- Sacrificing one animal is also valid and permissible, but less preferable.
