Excerpt from the book “Wālidayn aur Aulād ke Ḥuqūq” by Shaykh Jāwēd Iqbāl Sīālkōṭī
❖ Title:
Prescribed Number of Animals for ʿAqīqah for Boys and Girls in Islam
✿ Hadith on ʿAqīqah:
◈ عَنْ أُمِّ كُرْزٍ أَنَّهَا سَأَلَتْ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ عَنِ الْعَقِيقَةِ، فَقَالَ:
«عَنِ الْغُلَامِ شَاتَانِ، وَعَنِ الْجَارِيَةِ وَاحِدَةٌ، لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ أَذَكَارًا كُنَّ أَمْ إِنَاثًا»
(صحيح الترمذِي، أَبْوَابُ الْأَضَاحِي، بَاب مَا جَاءَ فِي الْعَقِيقَةِ: 1513؛ أَبُو دَاوُد، كِتَابُ الضَّحَايَا، بَابٌ فِي الْعَقِيقَةِ: 2835)
Translation:
Umm Karz رضي الله عنها reported that she asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about ʿAqīqah. He ﷺ said: “For a boy, two sheep, and for a girl, one. It does not matter whether they are male or female (animals).”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1513; Abū Dāwūd 2835)
❖ Ruling and Explanation:
✔ It is best and preferred to perform two sheep/goats as ʿAqīqah for a boy, and one sheep/goat for a girl.
✔ However, if necessary, performing one sheep for a boy will suffice.
❖ Supporting Evidence:
The Prophet ﷺ performed ʿAqīqah for Ḥasan and Ḥusayn رضي الله عنهما with one sheep each, as recorded in:
Abū Dāwūd, Hadith No. 2841
As for the narration stating that two sheep each were offered for Ḥasan and Ḥusayn, that report is weak, due to the presence of Qatādah, a mudallis, who did not explicitly mention hearing the report (lack of ṣarīḥ al-samāʿ).
❖ Important Notes:
❖ The distribution used for Qurbānī, i.e. 10 shares in a camel or 7 in a cow, does not apply to ʿAqīqah.
❖ Only sheep or goats should be used for ʿAqīqah, as no other animals are mentioned in authentic Aḥādīth regarding it.
❖ Unlike Qurbānī, it is not a condition for the ʿAqīqah animal to be two-toothed (dūn-dā). This restriction does not apply in this context.
✅ Summary:
- For a boy: Preferably two goats/sheep, but one is permissible if needed.
- For a girl: One goat/sheep is sufficient.
- Only goats or sheep should be used — not cows or camels.
- ʿAqīqah animals need not be dūn-dā (mature by age).
