If a male infant is born, lives for one month, and then dies, is he washed and prayed over? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
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The questioner : If a male infant is born, lives for one month, and then dies, is he washed and prayed over? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : This question mentioned by the questioner is impossible, because he says: "If a male infant is born and lives for one month." This question is impossible if he means by "for one month" that he remained for one month.
The questioner : He remained, meaning, for one month.
The Shaykh : If he means by his statement: "for one month" that it is one month of gestation, because one month of gestation does not reveal whether the fetus is male or female, for maleness and femaleness are not revealed until the fetus becomes a lump of flesh, and it does not become a lump of flesh until eighty days have passed, according to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), in which Ibn Mas'ud said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated to us, and he is the truthful and the made truthful:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2137Sahih (Darussalam).
And if the questioner means by his statement: "an infant after one month," meaning after one month of his birth, then this is correct. And we say in answer to it: If the child dies after being born for one month, then he is washed, shrouded, prayed over, and buried in the graves of the Muslims, if his parents or one of them is Muslim. In fact, if he comes out of his mother's womb after four months have passed, he is washed, shrouded, prayed over, and buried with the Muslims, if his parents or one of them is Muslim, even if he has not completed nine months in his mother's womb, because after the completion of four months he becomes a human being, since the angel breathes the soul into him. For this reason, the scholars said: A miscarriage that reaches four months is washed, shrouded, and prayed over.
The questioner : May Allah thank you and magnify your reward.
The Shaykh : This question mentioned by the questioner is impossible, because he says: "If a male infant is born and lives for one month." This question is impossible if he means by "for one month" that he remained for one month.
The questioner : He remained, meaning, for one month.
The Shaykh : If he means by his statement: "for one month" that it is one month of gestation, because one month of gestation does not reveal whether the fetus is male or female, for maleness and femaleness are not revealed until the fetus becomes a lump of flesh, and it does not become a lump of flesh until eighty days have passed, according to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), in which Ibn Mas'ud said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated to us, and he is the truthful and the made truthful:
Indeed the creation of one of you is gathered inside his mother in forty days. Then, for a similar period, he is a clot. Then, for a similar period, he is a piece of flesh. Then Allah sends the angel to him to blow the soul into him, and he is ordered to write four (things): To write his provision, his life-span, his works, and whether he will be wretched or happy.
إن أحدكم يجمع خلقه في بطن أمه أربعين يوماً نطفة، ثم يكون علقة مثل ذلك، ثم يكون مضغة مثل ذلك، ثم يرسل إليه ملك، ويأمر بأربع كلمات: بكتب رزقه، وأجله، وعمله، وشقي أم سعيدAnd if the questioner means by his statement: "an infant after one month," meaning after one month of his birth, then this is correct. And we say in answer to it: If the child dies after being born for one month, then he is washed, shrouded, prayed over, and buried in the graves of the Muslims, if his parents or one of them is Muslim. In fact, if he comes out of his mother's womb after four months have passed, he is washed, shrouded, prayed over, and buried with the Muslims, if his parents or one of them is Muslim, even if he has not completed nine months in his mother's womb, because after the completion of four months he becomes a human being, since the angel breathes the soul into him. For this reason, the scholars said: A miscarriage that reaches four months is washed, shrouded, and prayed over.
The questioner : May Allah thank you and magnify your reward.