I made a mistake in giving my son the treatment, and he died as a result
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Fatwa number ( 21363 )
Q: I had a son who was three years old. He fell ill and was taken to the hospital with his father and his aunt, while I was not with them. Then he was given a treatment consisting of a solution that is placed in a large water bottle, and this solution is given to him whenever he needs to drink water. However, due to my ignorance of how to administer the treatment, and the ignorance of his father and aunt as well, and their lack of certainty regarding the method of administration, I put the entire solution, which was in a milk feeding bag, into the bottle. Perhaps the solution was concentrated, which led to his illness recurring. He was transferred to the hospital and died after
that. I do not know if this was the cause or something else. My question is: Do I owe an expiation, or do his father and aunt owe one, and what is it? Knowing that this incident happened fifteen years ago. May Allah reward you with good.
A: If the child’s death was due to the action you mentioned, which is giving him medication he could not tolerate, then you have caused his death. Therefore, you owe an expiation, which is freeing a believing slave. If you cannot find one, then you must fast for two consecutive months, sixty days, as the expiation for killing. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: I had a son who was three years old. He fell ill and was taken to the hospital with his father and his aunt, while I was not with them. Then he was given a treatment consisting of a solution that is placed in a large water bottle, and this solution is given to him whenever he needs to drink water. However, due to my ignorance of how to administer the treatment, and the ignorance of his father and aunt as well, and their lack of certainty regarding the method of administration, I put the entire solution, which was in a milk feeding bag, into the bottle. Perhaps the solution was concentrated, which led to his illness recurring. He was transferred to the hospital and died after
that. I do not know if this was the cause or something else. My question is: Do I owe an expiation, or do his father and aunt owe one, and what is it? Knowing that this incident happened fifteen years ago. May Allah reward you with good.
A: If the child’s death was due to the action you mentioned, which is giving him medication he could not tolerate, then you have caused his death. Therefore, you owe an expiation, which is freeing a believing slave. If you cannot find one, then you must fast for two consecutive months, sixty days, as the expiation for killing. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.