Breastfeeding

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘No other milk has a greater blessing for the child as the milk of his mother does.”’

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once looked to me when I was breastfeeding one of my sons, Muhammad or Ishaq and he (the Imam) said, ‘O ‘Umm Ishaq, do not breastfeed him from one breast only. Breastfeed him from both breasts; one is food and the other is the drink for him.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Breastfeeding is for twenty-one months. Breastfeeding for less than this is injustice to the child.’”

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about breastfeeding. He (the Imam) said, ‘A free woman cannot be forced to breastfeed; but the mother (who is a slave-girl) of child can be made to breastfeed.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin issued a judgment about the case of a man who had died, had left behind a child and they had found someone to breastfeed him. He (the Imam) said that the wages for breastfeeding must be paid from what the child has inherited from his father and mother.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘. . . a mother must not be harmed because of her child nor must a father be harmed because of his child.’ (2:232) He (the Imam) said, ‘This is a reference to the case of breastfeeding woman when man persued her for going to bed with her she refused saying, “I cannot allow you to go to bed with me because I may become pregnant and kill my child.’” It also refers to the case of the woman who asked a man for going to bed with her but he refused saying, “I am afraid that after going to bed with you then I will kill my child”; so he would not go to bed with her. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, prohibited man’s harming the woman or woman’s harming the man.’” Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has narrated a similar Hadith with this addition: “About His words, . . an heir has similar responsibilities . . (2:232), he (the Imam) said, ‘An heir must not harm the child or his mother during breastfeeding and she also must not take more than two complete years for breastfeeding the child. If they decide to wean the child by mutual agreement and consent before two years it is fine and separation is weaning.’”

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who dies and leaves behind a woman with a child from the deceased and she gives the child to her servant for breastfeeding. She then asks the executor of the will to pay for the breastfeeding wages. He (the Imam) said, ‘She deserves an equivalent wages and the executor of the will cannot take the child away from her until he grows up. He then delivers his assets to him.

“I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about the case of a child; if he can be breastfed for more than two years. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is two years.’ I then asked, ‘If the child is breastfed for more than two years do parents owe anything?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, they do not owe anything.