Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
No you do not pray Janazah over a child that is born dead (stillborn).
عَنْ جَابِرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: إِذَا اسْتَهَلَّ الصَّبِيُّ وَرِثَ وَصُلِّيَ عَلَيْهِ. هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ عَلَى شَرْطِ الشَّيْخَيْنِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ. الذهبي: على شرط البخاري ومسلم
(Sayidina) Jabir (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘The child is not prayed over, neither does he inherit nor is he inherited from unless he makes a sound.’ (al-Mustadrak 8023, Sahih).
The Hadith narration above is Sahih according to Imams al-Hakim and al-Dhahabi. Similar narrations have also been narrated in Ibn Maja (1508 and 2750), Ibn Hibban (6032), Nasai (al-Kubra, 6324), and many other Hadith collections.
The authentic Hadith above makes it clear that a baby is only prayed over if it shows signs of life after birth. This is the ruling in the Hanafi Madhab. Therefore, a child that does not display signs of life after birth (stillborn) will not be prayed over.
رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: إذَا اسْتَهَلَّ الْمَوْلُودُ سُمِّيَ وَغُسِّلَ وَصُلِّيَ عَلَيْهِ وَوَرِثَ وَوُرِثَ عَنْهُ، وَإِذَا لَمْ يَسْتَهِلَّ لَمْ يُسَمَّ وَلَمْ يُغَسَّلْ وَلَمْ يَرِثْ. (بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع)
It was narrated from (Imam) Abu Hanifah that he said, ‘If the baby made a sound (or demonstrated other signs of life) then he is named, washed, prayed over, he inherits and is inherited from. However, if he did not make a sound, then he is not named, washed nor does he inherit. (Imam Abu Bakr al-Kaasaani, Badai).
Some people have disagreed with the position taken by Hanafi and other scholars. They cite the Hadith below to assert that a child is prayed over irrespective of showing signs of life after birth or not.
عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ، وَأَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَهْلَ زِيَادٍ أَخْبَرُونِي أَنَّهُ رَفَعَهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: الرَّاكِبُ يَسِيرُ خَلْفَ الْجَنَازَةِ، وَالْمَاشِي يَمْشِي خَلْفَهَا، وَأَمَامَهَا، وَعَنْ يَمِينِهَا، وَعَنْ يَسَارِهَا قَرِيبًا مِنْهَا، وَالسِّقْطُ يُصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ، وَيُدْعَى لِوَالِدَيْهِ بِالْمَغْفِرَةِ وَالرَّحْمَةِ
Al-Mughirah ibn Shu’bah (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ: ‘A rider should remain behind the bier. Those on foot should walk behind it, in front of it, on its right and on its left, remaining close to it. Prayer should be offered over a (Siqt) premature baby, and forgiveness and mercy supplicated for its parents.’ (Abu Dawood, 3180).
This Hadith has also been narrated in Ahmad (18174 and 18181), Tabarani (al-Kabeer, 1042 and 1043), Hakim (1344) and others. However, this is not considered to be a proof against the Hanafi position, since it supports and does not contradict the ruling.
إذْ الْحَظْرُ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَى الْإِطْلَاقِ عِنْدَ التَّعَارُضِ. (فتح القدير)
Since limitation is preferred over the unconstrained when both are mentioned. (Imam Ibn al-Humaam, Fath al-Qadeer).
إِذِ الْحَصْرُ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَى الْإِطْلَاقِ عِنْدَ التَّعَارُضِ. (مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح)
Since restriction is preferred over the unconstrained when both are mentioned. (Imam Ali al-Qari, Mirqaat al-Mafateeh).
As mentioned in the Nusoos above, this Hadith is qualified by the narrations stating that a sign of life is required for prayer to be obligatory. This is consistent with the well-known legal principle (Usool) that the Mutlaq (unrestricted) is qualified by the Muqayyad (restricted) as long as both are addressing the same issue.
Some people believe that there is a contradiction between the narrations, as they believe the word Siqt refers to a baby that is born dead. Therefore, you must select one of the two narrations. However, this is not necessarily the case. Rather Siqt can refer to a baby that is born early.
Consequently, the Hadith narrations are understood as Mutlaq and Muqayyad. One narration mentions that a baby born early is prayed over, the other narration clarifies that this is only the case if the child made a sound.
(قَوْلُهُ السَّقْطُ) بِتَثْلِيثِ سِينِهِ الْوَلَدُ النَّازِلُ قَبْلَ تَمَامِ مُدَّتِهِ وَقِيلَ مَنْ وُلِدَ مَيِّتًا. (أسنى المطالب)
His saying al-Siqt: It accepts all three Harakahs on the Seen. It refers to a child that is born prior to its term (premature). It is said that it refers to a child born dead. (Imam Zakariyah al-Ansari, Asnaa al-Matalib).
It is also worth noting that this ruling is not unique to prayer. Inheritance law has the same consideration, as seen in the Hadith below:
عَنْ جَابِرٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: الطِّفْلُ لَا يُصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَرِثُ، وَلَا يُورَثُ حَتَّى يَسْتَهِلَّ
(Sayidina) Jabir (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘The child is not prayed over, neither does he inherit nor is he inherited from unless he makes a sound.’ (Sunan Tirmidhi, 1032).
And Allah Most High Knows Best.
-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (21.12.2022)
See also:
Does crying (wailing) for the dead cause them pain or punishment?
See also (video):
