Question
My wife had a miscarriage after more than five months of pregnancy. However, we couldn’t determine the baby’s gender as the doctor couldn’t confirm it. I’m unsure how to name the baby. Should I choose a boy’s name or a girl’s?
Answer
When a miscarriage occurs after four months of pregnancy, it is recommended for the father to give the child a good name, by its gender if known. However, if the gender is unknown, a name that suits either gender may be chosen.
Explanation
Children are not only the greatest gift given to a husband and wife, but a righteous child is also a valuable treasure for both parents in this world and the hereafter. The Prophet Muhammad SAW said:
إِذَا مَاتَ الإنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عنْه عَمَلُهُ إِلَّا مِن ثَلَاثَةٍ: إِلَّا مِن صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ، أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ، أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو له
Meaning: “When a person dies, all their deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and a righteous child who prays for them.”
(Narrated by Muslim)
In Islam, it is recommended (sunnah) to name a child on the seventh day after birth. However, naming the child earlier including on the day of birth is also permissible.
According to Nihayah al-Muhtaj, it is recommended to name a miscarried fetus during pregnancy with good names according to its gender. However, if the baby’s gender cannot be identified due to underdevelopment or other factors that prevent clear determination, then it is recommended to give a name suitable for both male and female, such as Talhah and Hindun. This is based on the well-known hadith of the Prophet SAW:
إنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يُجْمَعُ خَلْقُهُ في بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا، ثُمَّ يَكونُ في ذلكَ عَلَقَةً مِثْلَ ذلكَ، ثُمَّ يَكونُ في ذلكَ مُضْغَةً مِثْلَ ذلكَ، ثُمَّ يُرْسَلُ المَلَكُ فَيَنْفُخُ فيه الرُّوحَ، وَيُؤْمَرُ بِأَرْبَعِ كَلِمَاتٍ: بِكَتْبِ رِزْقِهِ، وَأَجَلِهِ، وَعَمَلِهِ، وَشَقِيٌّ، أَوْ سَعِيدٌ
Meaning: “The constituents of one of you are collected for forty days in his mother's womb in the form of blood, after which it becomes a clot of blood in another period of forty days. Then it becomes a lump of flesh and forty days later Allah sends His angel to it with instructions concerning four things, so the angel writes down his livelihood, his death, his deeds, his fortune and misfortune.”
(Narrated by Muslim)
Imam al-Nawawi explained that the scholars have agreed that the soul is breathed into the fetus after four months of pregnancy. Thus, when a miscarriage occurs after this point, it is recommended that the parents honour their child by giving them a beautiful name even if the child was never seen alive.