Shar‘i Ruling on ʿAqīqah for a Deceased Infant
Question:If a child is born and then passes away—whether before or after the seventh day—should an ʿaqīqah be performed for that child?
Answer by:Fadhīlat al-Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wakīl Nāṣir ḥafiẓahullāh
Fadhīlat al-ʿĀlim Ikrāmullah Wāḥidī ḥafiẓahullāh
❖ View 1: ʿAqīqah Should
◈ According to some scholars, ʿaqīqah is not performed for a deceased child.
◈ The reasoning:
➤ ʿAqīqah is prescribed for living children, and the child who has passed away is now entrusted to Allah.
◈ This is also the opinion of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wakīl Nāṣir ḥafiẓahullāh.
❖ View 2: ʿAqīqah
◈ Other scholars hold that ʿaqīqah is related to the event of birth, not necessarily to the child’s survival.
◈ According to this view:
- ʿAqīqah on the 7th day is Sunnah,
- But even if the child passes before the 7th day, it is still permissible and valid to perform ʿaqīqah.
◈ Supporting scholars:
➤ Hanābilah, Shawāfiʿ, Imām Ibn Ḥazm, Ibn Bāz, and Ibn ʿUthaymīn رحمهم الله.
❖ Practical Clarification
◈ The purpose of ʿaqīqah includes:
- Thankfulness to Allah
- Charity and feeding others
◈ Aḥādīth do not explicitly restrict ʿaqīqah to surviving children.
◈ Performing ʿaqīqah even for a child who passes away before the 7th day is permissible, and may be considered a form of ṣadaqah and gratitude.
Conclusion
There is valid scholarly difference on this matter:
✔ If you choose not to perform ʿaqīqah, that is acceptable—because the child has returned to Allah’s mercy.
✔ If you choose to perform ʿaqīqah, with the intention of gratitude and charity, that is also permissible and holds reward—especially if done with sincerity.
This matter ultimately depends on personal intention and fiqh-based preference.
وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ
