The Aqeeqah of a still-born child...

The Aqeeqah of a stillborn child Q. What is the ruling of the Aqeeqah of a child that is born on its expected delivery date, but dies a short period before the birth?

A. If the child is born dead, some scholars hold that there is no Aqeeqah because the Aqeeqah is legislated on the seventh day. Other scholars are of the opinion that an Aqeeqah should be performed because this child which has had a soul blown into it will be raised on the Day of Judgement. In this issue, I am of the opinion that it is better to perform an Aqeeqah on its behalf, but the preference of performing an Aqeeqah under these circumstances is not like its preference if the child were to live until the seventh day. This is because the Aqeeqah is to be sacrificed on the seventh day. If the Aqeeqah is not performed on this day it is performed on the fourteenth and if this is missed then on the twenty­first day. This is what the scholars have mentioned and if these days are missed then on any subsequent day after this.

Sheikh Ibn Uthaimeen [Fataawa Manaar al­Islaam: 3/26]