The prayer over a deceased pregnant woman: over whom is the intention made?
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The Shaykh : But I was expecting that when he said: "That which is established as a dependent is established, whereas that which is not established independently is not", I expected him to ask about the pregnant woman: does he intend the prayer for her alone, or for her and her fetus? That is what I expected when he said that what is established as a dependent is established, whereas what is not established independently is not. But, glory be to Allah, he turned to another question. So, what is your opinion?
We say: If the pregnancy is small and the soul has not been breathed into it, then the intention is made for the mother only, because this fetus has no ruling. However, if the soul has been breathed into it, the scholars have said: It is obligatory to intend the prayer for her and for what is in her womb, meaning that what is in her womb is alive and will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection. This is a good distinction, but I think most people do not know this. In this case, it is said, if Allah wills, that what is established as a dependent is established, whereas what is not established independently is not, if we do not know whether the fetus in her has reached four months or not.
We say: If the pregnancy is small and the soul has not been breathed into it, then the intention is made for the mother only, because this fetus has no ruling. However, if the soul has been breathed into it, the scholars have said: It is obligatory to intend the prayer for her and for what is in her womb, meaning that what is in her womb is alive and will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection. This is a good distinction, but I think most people do not know this. In this case, it is said, if Allah wills, that what is established as a dependent is established, whereas what is not established independently is not, if we do not know whether the fetus in her has reached four months or not.