Vocabulary of the ḥadith:
• mukāfiʾatān: with a kasrah on the letter fāʾ and followed by a hamzah. It means “two equivalent sheep” in age and sacrificial validity—neither should be old while the other is young—and both must meet the same criteria required for an uḍḥiyah (ritual sacrifice). Imām Aḥmad and Abū Dāwūd explained the term as “equal or nearly equal.”

Points derived from the ḥadith:
1 – The ḥadith proves the lawfulness of the ʿaqīqah and is among the evidences cited for considering it obligatory, for a prophetic command normally denotes obligation. Nonetheless, the majority of scholars—including the four Imams—regard it as an emphatic sunnah rather than a duty; only the Ẓāhirī school deemed it obligatory.
2 – The ḥadith explicitly states that the ʿaqīqah for a boy is two sheep, whereas for a girl it is one.
3 – The rationale for differentiating between male and female lies in the fact that the ʿaqīqah is a sacrificial act of gratitude to Allah for the blessing of a new child. Since a boy is considered the greater blessing and favor from Allah, the expression of thanks is greater—two sheep for him and one for a girl. Ibn al-Qayyim said: “The preference follows the honor accorded to the male and the distinctions Allah has given him over the female. Because the blessing manifested in him is more complete and the joy occasioned by him fuller, the gratitude for him is greater.”
4 – It is recommended that the two sheep offered on behalf of a boy be equivalent—similar in age and fatness—so that neither is markedly larger than the other, and that they be of the same color and approximate size. Al-Shamāʾil states: “Let this one match that one,” perhaps as a favorable omen for harmony among his future offspring.