Janazah guide · 5 min read
Losing a baby or a child
What Islamic practice asks for a premature baby, a stillbirth or an early loss — and the help you should never be charged for.
On matters of religious practice, your own masjid and scholars are the authority. This guide covers the process around them.
A grief with a promise
The passing of a child is among the heaviest losses a family can carry. The tradition meets it with an extraordinary tenderness: the Prophet ﷺ described the miscarried child drawing its mother towards Jannah by its cord, and parents who lose children being admitted to Jannah by Allah's mercy upon them.
What is done, at each stage
- A premature baby who showed any sign of life — a cry, a whimper, a yawn — is named, given ghusl, shrouded, and prayed over with the janazah prayer, exactly as for any Muslim.
- A stillborn baby, or one miscarried before delivery, is named, washed, and wrapped in a clean cloth (not the full kafan), and buried — without the janazah prayer.
- An embryo without discernible human features is washed, wrapped in cloth and buried; naming is preferred by some and the janazah prayer is not performed.
These are the broadly held positions; your own imam's guidance governs, and cemeteries experienced with Muslim burials will know them well.
The Children's Funeral Fund
In England, the Children's Funeral Fund covers the burial fees for a child under 18 — the cemetery claims it directly, and the family should not be charged for the plot or interment. If a cemetery quotes fees for a child's burial, ask them about the fund by name.
Support that understands
- Children of Jannah — support for Muslim parents grieving a child (childrenofjannah.com).
- Sands — the stillbirth and neonatal death charity (sands.org.uk).
- Muslim Bereavement Support Service — mbss.org.uk.
Adapted, with gratitude, from “What to Do When Someone Dies — A Practical Guide for Muslims” by the Rochdale Council of Mosques (Registered charity no. 1148918), generalised for families anywhere in the UK.