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Fatwa CenterBreastfeeding a baby after a gap of one night
Question
ASSALAMUALAIKUM , I am a mother of two,a boy being the eldest and a baby girl .She is two years old.Yesterday she went to sleep without breastfeeding and even didnot demanded throughout the night.My question is that is it legal to continue her feed inspite of a skip of one night in between?Many elderly people around us are of the opinion that its haram for the kid to breastdfeed after he/she has left for one night.My intention was not to stop her breastfeeding....it happened completely un intentionally.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
As for as we know there is no evidence that it is not permissible to breastfeed a child after he/she has been left for one night without being breastfed. Rather, this contradicts the Quranic command that the period of complete breastfeeding is two years. Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): {Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period].}[Quran 2:233]
The ‘Aayah indicates that two years is the proper age for weaning in case the mother is able to breastfeed and the child accepts breastfeeding.
Nevertheless, the parents are permitted, if they wish, to breastfeed the child for more or less than this period provided that there is no harm caused to them or to the child. Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): {And if they both desire weaning through mutual consent from both of them and consultation, there is no blame upon either of them.}[Quran 2:233]
In a Hadeeth, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Suckling is from hunger (i.e. for infants)." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
This means that when the child no longer needs breastfeeding, it is permissible to wean him; even this could be better. For more details, refer to Fatwa 86316.
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