No accountability for Muslims who die before puberty

25/11/2009| IslamWeb

Question

My daughter died as a child. Is there any specific invocation for those who die as children? How will these children be rewarded?

Fatwa

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallaallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

We ask Allah The Almighty to reward you for this calamity and to compensate you. There is no specific invocation for those who die at this age, neither when praying over them nor after that. The invocation that is said in the funeral prayer of a child is not proven. Actually, any child who dies before reaching the age of puberty will not be held accountable or punished. Allah The Almighty will keep him with Ibraaheem (Abraham), may Allah exalt his mention. This was mentioned in the authentic Hadeeth (narration) that was narrated by Al-Bukhari and others.

If someone’s child dies and he says “Inna lillaah wa inna ilayhi raaji‘oon (Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return)," then the person praises Allah The Almighty and is patient, the person will be rewarded by being allowed to enter Paradise with the intercession of this child. Moreover, Allah The Almighty will build him a house in Paradise.

This is proven by many Saheeh Hadeeths (authentic narrations), such as the one where the Prophet, sallaallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that children enter Paradise and do not leave it, and that they take their parents’ hands to enter Paradise with them. [Muslim]

It was also narrated that the Prophet, sallaallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that anyone whose child dies, and he says “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return," and praises Allah, Allah the Exalted will build him a house in Paradise. [Al-Musnad and At-Tirmithi]

It was also narrated that the Prophet, sallaallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that if three children of a Muslim die, he will not enter Hell. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

And Allah knows best.