Breastfeeding in Islam

I recently joined a Muslim Ladies Discussion Group and our "assignment" last week was to choose a topic related to Women in Islam, read and research about it, and then report back today. What follows was the report that I gave this morning.

When I started thinking about what to do with this "assignment," I first thought that I would research a bit on the idea of Islamic marriage and how women are protected by Allah's great design. This is a subject that is very near-and-dear to my heart, as I have many friends who blame their husband's religion on the problems within their marriages, when the real problem is with the partners not understanding (or fulfilling) their roles. However, I was side-tracked by a discussion forum. I am a subscriber to Mothering magazine, as well as an avid participant on the message boards (http://www.mothering.com/discussions). One of the subjects that has come up frequently is the concept of Christianity and breastfeeding. It seems that in many places in the US, breastfeeding mothers have nearly been hounded out of their churches because of the narrow-mindedness of people who think that breastfeeding beyond some arbitrary age is "perverted." How do they think Jesus was fed? Similac certainly wasn't sending Mary free samples in the mail! Then in one of the posts, a woman pointed out that Muslims are instructed in their holy book (obviously referring to the Koran) to breastfeed their children for two years. While I knew that muslimahs are encouraged to breastfeed, I didn't recall exactly how it was worded or what the stipulations were, so I have done some reading and researching and this is what I've come up with.

The Holy Prophet said: "There is no milk for a baby better than the milk of its mother" (Nahjul-Balagha, p. 536, saying No. 352). But the most important directive on breastfeeding comes from the word of Allah in the Koran, 2:233:

The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years, for those who desire to complete the term of suckling, but the father of the child shall bear the cost of the mother's food and clothing on a reasonable basis. No person shall have a burden laid on him greater than he can bear. No mother shall be treated unfairly on account of her child, nor father on account of his child. . . . If they both decide on weaning, by mutual consent, and after due consultation, there is no sin on them. And if you decide on a foster suckling-mother [wet-nurse] for your children, there is no sin on you, provided you pay what you agreed on reasonable basis. And fear Allah and know that Allah is All-Seer of what you do.

Notice that the completion of the term of suckling, also known as weaning, is to occur around two years of age. This is the same time frame that is now recommended by the World Health Organization as well as the American Academy of Pediatricians. There is also consideration of the needs of the entire family, as both parents must consent to the weaning of the child. If a woman is not able or willing to breastfeed, it is recommended that a wet-nurse be employed because the health benefits of human milk over the milk of another species (i.e., cow, goat, or camel) was obvious. According to one biography, the Prophet Himself had four wet-nurses during his childhood: Umm Ayman, his father's Abyssinian slave; Thuwaybah, his uncle's slave; Haleemah, his Bedouin foster-mother; and Judhama, Haleemah's daughter.

As in the general rules for marriage, it is the father's responsibility to feed, clothe, and generally provide for the upkeep of his child, in this case via the nursing mother, even if they divorce: "And if they are pregnant, then spend on them till they lay down their burden. Then if they give suck to the children for you, give them their due payment and let each of you accept the advice of the other in a just way. . . . (65:6)" If the mother is not nursing the child but the couple decides to employ a wet-nurse, then the father is also required to provide for the wet-nurse as a member of the family. Indeed, if the wet-nurse has other children that she suckled, then they become "milk brothers/sisters" to the child and as such are not eligible for marriage. "Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: . . . your foster mothers who gave you suck, your milk suckling sisters . . . .(4:23)" The suckling must have occurred on at least several different occasions, as the hadith narrates: "Umm al-Fadl reported: A bedouin came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) when he was in my house and said: Allah's Apostle, I have had a wife and I married another besides her, and my first wife claimed that she had suckled once or twice my newly married wife, thereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: One suckling or two do not make the (marriage) unlawful" (Sahih Muslim Book 008, Number 3415). This injunction against marrying one's milk-brother or -sister is part of the Islamic objection to milk banks in general. However, by reading hadith, it appears that it is the relationship--the suckling--between the milk-mother, or wet-nurse, and child, not the fluid itself that creates the relationship. A woman who donates her milk to a milk bank should not receive financial compensation for it, as milk is not considered wealth and can not be sold and it is part of the body, therefore sacred, and it is a disgrace to trade the sacred for the profane (money).

Some women are concerned with fasting during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. While it is a moral imperative to fast during Ramadan, the health of ourselves and our children should always come first. Allah never gives a soul more than it can bear, and as such there are hadith to help guide us in this matter. "Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: Explaining the verse; 'For those who can do it (with hard-ship) is a ransom, the feeding of one, that is indigent,' he said: This was a concession granted to the aged man and woman who were able to keep fast; they were allowed to leave the fast and instead feed an indigent person for each fast; (and a concession) to pregnant and suckling woman when they apprehended harm (to themselves)" (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 13, Number 2311). Also, "Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

A man from Banu Abdullah ibn Ka'b brethren of Banu Qushayr (not Anas ibn Malik, the well-known Companion), said: A contingent from the cavalry of the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) raided us. I reached (for he said went) to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) who was taking his meals. He said: Sit down, and take some from this meal of ours. I said: I am fasting, he said: Sit down, I shall tell you about prayer and fasting. Allah has remitted half the prayer to a traveller, and fasting to the traveller, the woman who is suckling an infant and the woman who is pregnant, I swear by Allah, he mentioned both (i.e. suckling and pregnant women) or one of them. I was grieved for not taking the food of the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)" ( Book 13, Number 2402).

The health advantages of breastfeeding are well-known, so I will not go into those here. However, less well known are the spiritual advantages. The Holy Prophet said: "When a woman conceives with child she will be as a warrior who fasts during the day and keeps vigil at nights praying, and strives with his soul and wealth on the way of Allah. Then, when she delivers, there will be for her such a great reward with Allah that she does not know how magnificent it is. Thereafter, when she suckles (the child), she will have as much reward as freeing a child from Ismail's descendants for every suck. And, when she brings suckling the child to an end, an angel beside her tells her to begin the action again for she has surely been forgiven" (Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 104, p. 106). Clearly we have a moral duty, not only to our children but also to Allah, to breastfeed our children for two years.