Is the 'aqiqah (sacrifice for a newborn) performed for a child who died at eight months of age?

The questioner : She says that she was blessed with a son, and he was ill, Honorable Shaykh, and then he passed away in the hospital. She asks: Is the 'aqiqah performed for him? He passed away, good evening.

The Shaykh : When did he pass away?

The questioner : After a year.

The Shaykh : After the completion of three months, Shaykh. The 'aqiqah is not the responsibility of the mother; the 'aqiqah is the responsibility of the father. So, for a child like this, the 'aqiqah is performed for him. Whenever a child is born alive, the 'aqiqah is performed for him. Likewise, if he is born dead but the soul has been breathed into him, the 'aqiqah is performed for him. Because if the soul has been breathed into the fetus, he is a human being who is washed, shrouded, prayed over, and buried with the Muslims, and he is given a name and will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection, even if he did not complete nine months.