Ads by Muslim Ad Network

aaa

I Had a Miscarriage, Should I Name the Baby?

25 June, 2020
Q As-salamu `alaykum. I apologize for my ignorance but I need to ask few questions about miscarriage. I had a miscarriage at 11 weeks of pregnancy but was told that my baby died at 9 weeks. I need to know if I need to bury the embryo. Also, I am wondering if my baby has a soul. Should I name my baby? Friends and family tell me that my baby will be waiting for me in the Hereafter. Is this true? I am having a lot of trouble letting go. I do not know why. I do believe that everything happens for a reason and that Almighty Allah's plan is the best for us. Almighty Allah loves my baby. Why do I feel that it so difficult to let go? Does it mean that my faith is not strong?

Answer

Zeinab Al-`Alawani
25 June, 2020

Wa `alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

In this fatwa:

It is better to bury the embryo. It is up to you whether you would like to name the baby or not.

Responding to your question, Zeinab Al-`Alawani, instructor of fiqh and Islamic studies at the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences, states:

May Allah grant you patience and compensate you for your loss.

Ads by Muslim Ad Network

This is a natural feeling as you went through pregnancy and became very attached to the baby. It is very difficult to let go, but make sure you do not think or speak ill of Almighty Allah, but rather, continue to observe patience and rely on Almighty Allah to grant you a great reward.

You should anticipate this baby to intercede on your behalf on the Day of Judgment. You should fill your time with duaa and prayer so you do not feel lonely.

It is better to bury the embryo and this would also be more of a relief for you. You do not have to name it, but if you feel so, it would do no harm. The baby starts to have a soul after 4 months.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.

Baby Miscarriage Embryo fetus naming a child
About Zeinab Al-`Alawani
Dr. Zainab Alwani is the Founding Director of the Islamic Studies program at Howard University School of Divinity (HUSD). She is the Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and the chair of the Religious Studies Master of Arts program at HUSD. She is an Islamic scholar, researcher and community activist. Dr. Alwani is also the first female jurist to serve on the board of the Fiqh Council of North America and currently serves as the Council’s Vice-Chair. She is a member and a board member of various national organizations including, Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights KARAMAH, and the American Academy of Religion. Dr. Alwani is currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Islamic Faith and Practice. Her research focuses on Quranic studies, Islamic jurisprudence, the relationship between civil and religious law in the area of family, women and gender, and inter-religious relations.