What is the correct Islamic procedure for dealing with a miscarriage before and after four months, and is what the questioner did—washing, shrouding, naming, praying over, and burying the fetus that miscarried at 23 weeks—Islamically correct? Is there a difference between the death of a fetus in the womb and its death after birth? When is it permissible to perform 'Aqiqah for it? Are there differences among the madhhabs regarding this issue?

There is a difference between a fetus who dies in his mother's womb and one who is born alive and then dies. The latter, by consensus, is washed, shrouded, and prayed over. As for the former, who dies in his mother's womb and is miscarried stillborn, there is a jurisprudential dispute regarding the permissibility of praying over him, even if he has reached four months. The Fiqh Encyclopedia mentions the details of the four schools of thought concerning this. It is hoped that the questioner will be rewarded for washing, shrouding, praying over, and burying the miscarried fetus.