shrouded or prayed over. After four months, however, it is washed, shrouded, prayed over, and buried in the cemeteries of the Muslims.
The evidence that it is recommended to pay the Fitr charity on behalf of the fetus is what has been narrated from Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him: “He paid on behalf of the fetus.” (1) Otherwise, there is no sunnah concerning this from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. However, we must know that Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, was one of the Rightly Guided Caliphs whose sunnah we have been commanded to follow. Thus, if there is no sunnah from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that overrides what the Caliphs instituted, then the sunnah of the Caliphs is religious legislation that must be followed.
From this we know that the first call to prayer on Friday is a sunnah, through the Prophet’s, peace and blessings be upon him, endorsement of it (2) in his statement: “Hold fast to my sunnah and the sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.” (3) As for those later innovators who reject it, declare it an innovation, and claim that Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, thereby led people astray, they are themselves the misguided innovators.
For Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, instituted the first call to prayer due to a reason that did not exist in the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Had its reason existed in the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he had not