Is substitution between male and female livestock permissible for the required recompense?
Chapter on Ransom (Fidyah) and Penalty for Hunting
Al-Mughni
Book of Hajj
Primary text
It is permissible to substitute a female animal for a male one, because its meat is considered tastier and softer. It is also permissible in one view to substitute a male animal for a female one, because its meat is more abundant, thus making them equivalent.
Supporting text
A secondary view holds that substituting a male for a female is not permissible because the nature of the excess (greater quantity) in the male is not the same as the nature of the excess in the female, resembling substituting a defective animal of one category for a defective animal of another category.