Janazah Salah for a Stillborn Child
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Ruling On Offering the Funeral of a Stillborn Child
Darulifta Ahlesunnat (Dawateislami)
Question
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: There is a hadith in Sunan Abi-Dawood which states that the funeral will be offered upon a stillborn child. Please guide us in light of sharī’aĥ whether the funeral salah of a stillborn child will be offered or not. If not, then what is the meaning of the hadith?
Answer
A stillborn child is a child that is lost through miscarriage before completing the pregnancy period (i.e., it is miscarried before six months). If such a child is born dead, its funeral salah will not be offered regardless of whether its limbs had formed. This is because the rules of the deceased (those who passed away after being alive), such as ritual bath, shrouding, and funeral salah, do not apply in its case. Therefore, it will simply be washed, wrapped in a piece of cloth, and buried. However, it is Mustahab to give it a name so that it can intercede for its parents on the day of judgement.
Regarding a stillborn child, it is stated in Mirqat al-Mafateeh:
أی: الولد الساقط قبل ستۃ أشھر
Translation: Al-Saqt (السقط) is a child that dies in its mother’s womb before six months. (Mirqat al-Mafateeh, Vol. 03, p. 1253, Publ. Dar al-Fikr, Beirut)
The funeral salah is not offered upon the child who died in its mother’s womb. Regarding this, it is narrated in Musannaf Ibn Abi-Shaybah, Sunan al-Tirmizi, and Musnad Ahmad (cited from Musannaf):
عن جابر قال: اذا استهل الصبی صلي عليه وورث واذا لم يستهل لم يورث ولم يصل عليه
Translation: It is narrated that Jabir رضي اللہ تعالى عنهsaid:
If a child cries at the time of birth, funeral salah is offered for him and he inherits. But if he did not cry at the time of birth (i.e., it was born dead), it does not inherit nor is salah offered upon him. (Musannaf Ibn Abi-Shaybah, Vol. 06, p. 287, Publ. Maktabah al-Rushd, Riyadh)
Under the hadith narrated in Sunan al-Tirmizi, Allamah ‘Ali Qari Hanafi رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 1014 AH/ 1605 CE) writes:
صححه ابن حبان و الحاكم و قال: إنه على شرط الشيخين
Translation: Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim have graded it Sahih. Imam Hakim stated: It is according to the conditions of Shaykhain. (Mirqat al-Mafateeh, Vol. 03, p. 1214, Publ. Dar al-Fikr, Beirut)
Mufti Muhammad Ahmad Yar Khan Na’eemi رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 1391 AH/ 1971 CE) writes:
اگر بچہ زندہ پیدا ہوکر مرجائے جس کی زندگی اس کی چیخ یا حرکت سے معلوم ہوجائے تب تو اس کی نماز جنازہ بھی ہے اور اس کا نام بھی رکھا جائے گا، اس کا باقاعدہ کفن دفن بھی ہوگا، اس پرمیراث کے احکام بھی جاری ہوں گے، اگر مردہ ہی پیدا ہو تو وہ گر اہوا حمل ہے، جس پر یہ کوئی حکم (غسل و کفن بطریق مسنون اور نماز جنازہ) جاری نہیں صرف ایک کپڑے میں لپیٹ کر گڑھے میں داب (دفنا) دیا جائے گا۔۔۔ اس حدیث کو ابن حبان نے صحیح کہا اور حاکم نے فرمایا کہ یہ علی شرط شیخین ہے۔
Translation: If a child is alive at birth but then dies, and it is known that it was alive by crying or movement, the funeral salah will be performed upon the child, he will be named, and a proper shrouding and burial will be carried out. Also, the rulings of inheritance will apply. But if it is born dead, it is classified as a miscarried child, to which these rulings (bathing, shrouding according to the sunnah, funeral salah) do not apply. It will simply be wrapped in a single piece of cloth and buried in the ground… Ibn Hibban graded this Sahih, and Hakim states that it is according to the conditions of Shaykhain. (Mir’at al-Manajeeh Sharh Mishkat al-Masabeeh, Vol. 02, p. 462, Publ. Hasan Publishers, Lahore)
The rulings of the deceased do not apply to the child who is born dead. Thus, Allamah Burhan-Uddin Marghinani رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 593 AH/ 1196 CE) writes:
(و من استهل بعد الولادة سمي و غسل و صلي عليه) لقوله علیہ السلام: إذا استهل المولود صلي عليه، و إن لم يستهل لم يصل عليه و لان الاستهلال دلالة الحياة فتحقق في حقه سنة الموتى (و ان لم يستهل أدرج في خرقة) كرامة لبني آدم (و لم يصل عليه) لما روينا، و يغسل في غير الظاهر من الرواية لأنه نفس من وجه، و هو المختار
(Al-Hidayah, Vol. 01, p. 91, Publ. Dar Ihya’ al-Turas al-‘Arabiy, Beirut)
Explanation of the hadith referenced in the question:
The hadith and its translation are as follows: It is narrated in Sunan Abi-Dawood:
عن المغيرة بن شعبة، و أحسب أن أهل زياد أخبروني أنه رفعه إلى النبي صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم قال: الراكب يسير خلف الجنازة، والماشي يمشي خلفها، و أمامها، و عن يمينها، و عن يسارها قريبا منها، و السقط يصلى عليه، و يدعى لوالديه بالمغفرة و الرحمة
Translation: It is narrated from al-Mughirah Bin Shu’bah رضي اللہ تعالى عنه that the Noble Rasool ﷺ said: A mounted person should proceed behind the funeral procession. Those on foot should proceed behind it, ahead of it, to its right and its left, close to it. Funeral salah should be offered for the miscarried child, and supplications of forgiveness and mercy should be made for its parents. (Sunan Abi-Dawood, Vol. 03, p. 205, Publ. Al-Maktabah al-‘Asriyah, Sidon, Beirut)
(1) The words of the hadith و السقط يصلى عليه (Funeral salah should be offered for the miscarried child) are specific to the case that any signs of life are shown in the child, such as any movement or noise. Otherwise, there is a clear prohibition in the hadith to offer funeral salah for a child that is born dead. For example, the narration referenced above states اذا استهل الصبی صلي عليه (When a child shows signs of life at the time of birth, funeral salah should be offered for him). Thus, it is stated in Faid al-Qadeer and Lam’aat al-Tanqeeh Sharh Mishkat al-Masabeeh (cited from Lam’aat):
(و السقط يصلى عليه) الولد لغير تمام، فعندنا و عند الشافعي هذا مخصوص بأن يستهل، و هو أن يكون منه ما يدل على الحياة من حركة عضو أو رفع صوت۔۔۔ و روى النسائي عن جابر: (إذا استهل الصبي صلي عليه و ورث)، و رواه الحاكم عن أبي الزبير، و قال: صحيح.
Translation: “Funeral salah should be offered for the miscarried child” refers to the child that is miscarried before birth. According to us (Ahnaf) and al-Shafi’i, this is restricted to istihlal, i.e., any action that indicates life, such as movement of the body or making noise. Al-Nasa’i narrates from Jabir رضي اللہ تعالى عنه: When a child makes noise at the time of birth, funeral salah will be offered for him, and he will inherit.” Al-Hakim narrates this from Abu al-Zubair, and he said: It is Sahih. (Lam’aat al-Tanqeeh Fi-Sharh Mishkat al-Masabeeh, Vol. 04, p. 144, Publ. Dar al-Nawadir, Damascus)
It is stated in al-Tajreed Lil-Qudoori, Fath Bab al-‘Inayah, and al-Binayah Sharh al-Hidayah (cited from al-Tajreed):
احتجوا: بما روى المغيرة بن شعبة رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ و آلہ و سلم قال: (السقط يصلى عليه، ويدعا لوالديه بالمغفرة و الرحمة) قلنا: هذا محمول على من علمت حياته، بدلالة الخبر الآخر
Translation: Some people took the narration of al-Mughirah Ibn Shu’bah رضي اللہ تعالى عنه as proof (for funeral salah for the stillborn child), in which he states that the Noble Rasool ﷺ said: “Funeral salah should be offered for the miscarried child, and supplications of forgiveness and mercy should be made for its parents”. We say: This is for the child about whom it was known that he was alive. Another narration indicates this. (Al-Tajreed Lil-Qudoori, Vol. 03, p. 1070, Publ. Cairo)
(2) In this narration, instruction was given to offer the funeral salah for the child without any restrictions, whereas other narrations restricted offering the funeral salah of the child with the condition of istihlal (showing signs of life). The principle is that if one narration is unrestricted and another narration is restricted, the restricted narration takes precedence. Thus, Mulla ‘Ali Qari Hanafi رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 1014 AH/ 1605 CE) writes:
و أما معارضته بما رواه الترمذي من حديث المغيرة وصححه: أنه عليه الصلاة و السلام قال: (السقط يصلى عليه. إلخ) فساقطة; إذ الحصر مقدم على الإطلاق عند التعارض
Translation: As for the contradiction between the narration of al-Tirmizi (which he has graded Sahih) and the hadith of al-Mughirah in which he said that the Rasool ﷺ said: “Funeral salah should be offered for the miscarried child”, this contradiction is inconsiderable because when there is a contradiction, restriction takes precedence over the unrestricted. (Mirqat al-Mafateeh, Vol. 03, p. 1204, Publ. Dar al-Fikr, Beirut)
(3) Regarding the narration being referred to in the question, the jurists have written that the hadith gives a general permission regarding the child’s funeral salah. However, other narrations clearly prohibit the funeral salah of the child that is born dead. When there is a contradiction between two such ahadith, one of which gives general permission and the other states prohibition, the narration that states the prohibition takes precedence. Thus, Shaykh Muhaqqiq, Shah Abdul-Haq Muhaddith Dehlwi رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 1052 AH / 1642 CE) writes:
الحظر مقدم على الإطلاق عند التعارض
Translation: When there is a contradiction, the prohibition is preferred over general permission. (Lam’aat al-Tanqeeh Fi Sharh Mishkat al-Masabeeh, Vol. 04, p. 144, Publ. Dar al-Nawadir, Damascus)
Imam Kamal-Uddin Ibn Hummam رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 861 AH/ 1456 CE) writes:
و أما معارضته بما رواه الترمذي من حديث المغيرة و صححه أنه عليه الصلاة و السلام قال السقط يصلى عليه ويدعى لوالديه بالمغفرة و الرحمة فساقطة، إذ الحظر مقدم على الإطلاق عند التعارض
Translation: As for the contradiction between the narration of al-Tirmizi (which he has graded Sahih) and the hadith of al-Mughirah that he said: “Funeral salah should be offered for the miscarried child”, this contradiction is inconsiderable because when there is a contradiction in any ruling, prohibition takes precedence over general permission. (Fath al-Qadeer, Vol. 02, p. 133, Publ. Dar al-Fikr, Lebanon)
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِہٖ وَ سَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: OKR-0124
Date: 27th Rabi’ al-Akhir 1447 AH/ 21st October 2025