A man and his wife placed a blanket over their daughter to protect her from the cold, but the blanket covered her and she died
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Fatwa number ( 20075 )
Q: May Allah will and decree the death of my daughter, who was nine months old. The cause of death was: when she fell asleep, I placed her on her usual bed and put a sheet over her, and her mother added a blanket because of the cold. This was after the Fajr prayer, and I went to sleep, while her mother was occupied with household chores, hoping to return to sleep with her daughter in the same room. However, due to her mother’s fatigue, she fell asleep in another room. I got up at eleven-thirty to go to work, and before leaving the house as usual, I checked on the children in their bedrooms and covered them up against the cold. I found the girl in an abnormal position, with the sheet and blanket covering her. Do we all, the father and the mother, have to fast, or is it upon one of us? We did not intend this. Please inform us.
A: If you did not place the sheet and the blanket, or either of them, over her face, but rather she covered herself with them through her own movement, then you owe nothing, because you did not neglect your duty. However, if you placed the sheet and the blanket over her face, then each of you owes the expiation for accidental killing; because by doing so, you caused her death. The expiation is freeing a believing slave for each of you
If you do not find one, then each of you must fast for two consecutive months (sixty days), along with repentance to Allah. We ask Allah to replace her with something better for you, and to help you fulfill the obligatory duty. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: May Allah will and decree the death of my daughter, who was nine months old. The cause of death was: when she fell asleep, I placed her on her usual bed and put a sheet over her, and her mother added a blanket because of the cold. This was after the Fajr prayer, and I went to sleep, while her mother was occupied with household chores, hoping to return to sleep with her daughter in the same room. However, due to her mother’s fatigue, she fell asleep in another room. I got up at eleven-thirty to go to work, and before leaving the house as usual, I checked on the children in their bedrooms and covered them up against the cold. I found the girl in an abnormal position, with the sheet and blanket covering her. Do we all, the father and the mother, have to fast, or is it upon one of us? We did not intend this. Please inform us.
A: If you did not place the sheet and the blanket, or either of them, over her face, but rather she covered herself with them through her own movement, then you owe nothing, because you did not neglect your duty. However, if you placed the sheet and the blanket over her face, then each of you owes the expiation for accidental killing; because by doing so, you caused her death. The expiation is freeing a believing slave for each of you
If you do not find one, then each of you must fast for two consecutive months (sixty days), along with repentance to Allah. We ask Allah to replace her with something better for you, and to help you fulfill the obligatory duty. 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.