Is an 'Aqiqah performed for a miscarriage?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, esteemed Shaykh. Regarding a miscarriage, is an 'Aqiqah required for it, whether it completed four months or not, and it died after birth?
The Shaykh : A miscarriage means the fetus falls from the mother's womb. If it falls before four months, it is a piece of flesh; it is not washed, shrouded, prayed over, or offered an 'Aqiqah. It is simply taken and buried in any place because it is not a human being, but a piece of flesh. If it is after four months, it is a human being in whom the soul has been breathed. It is washed, shrouded, prayed over, and buried in the Muslim cemeteries. An 'Aqiqah is also performed for it, and it is given a name, because this will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection. This is the stronger opinion. Some scholars said that an 'Aqiqah is not performed for it until it is born alive and remains until the completion of seven days, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Bulugh al-Maram 12:44 This indicates that it must reach seven days, and if it dies before that, no 'Aqiqah is performed for it. However, the more apparent view is the first opinion: that whenever it is born after the soul has been breathed into it, an 'Aqiqah is performed for it.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : A miscarriage means the fetus falls from the mother's womb. If it falls before four months, it is a piece of flesh; it is not washed, shrouded, prayed over, or offered an 'Aqiqah. It is simply taken and buried in any place because it is not a human being, but a piece of flesh. If it is after four months, it is a human being in whom the soul has been breathed. It is washed, shrouded, prayed over, and buried in the Muslim cemeteries. An 'Aqiqah is also performed for it, and it is given a name, because this will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection. This is the stronger opinion. Some scholars said that an 'Aqiqah is not performed for it until it is born alive and remains until the completion of seven days, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Every boy is pawned against his 'Aqiqah, to be slaughtered on his behalf on the seventh day
كل غلام مرتهن بعقيقته تذبح عنه يوم سابعهThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.