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If a fetus dies at birth, is a funeral prayer performed for it?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a fetus completes 120 days in its mother's womb and then is stillborn, it is permissible to pray over it, name it, and sacrifice an 'aqiqah for it, because the soul is breathed into it after this period. Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said: "The stillborn (fetus) is prayed over, and forgiveness and mercy are supplicated for its parents." Al-Nasa'i and Al-Tirmidhi also narrated it, and Al-Tirmidhi authenticated it. Their wording is: "The child is prayed over."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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