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The blessing of natural breastfeeding

17-03-2002

Question 13750

I have been told that breastfeeding is blessed by Allah and that the Koran states; 'every drop of breast milk' is blessed. Could you please tell me where in the Koran I might find such a refence?

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Undoubtedly the blessing comes where Allah wills, and it comes if a person asked Allah to bless him in his wealth or provision, so He makes it blessed, or He makes the person blessed, as ‘Eesa (Jesus – peace be upon him) said. Allah says: 

“[‘Eesa (Jesus) said:] And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be”

[Maryam 19:31 – interpretation of the meaning]

And the blessing will be wherever Allah puts it, as He says concerning rain (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And We send down blessed water (rain) from the sky” [Qaaf 50:9]

i.e., you gain blessing by its falling, because it makes trees and plants grow. With regard to breastfeeding, I do not remember any aayah which mentions it in conjunction with blessing in particular. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr. 

 The Qur’aan encourages the mother to breastfeed her child naturally. Allah says: 

“The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years, (that is) for those (parents) who desire to complete the term of suckling” [al-Baqarah 2:233]

 This is a command to mothers, as the scholars explained, to breastfeed their children. The scholars also mentioned that one part of breastfeeding is obligatory, which is the yellow substance (colostrum) that is produced at the beginning of breastfeeding and which is known medically to be of great benefit in building the immune system of the child etc. Undoubtedly in carrying out the commands of Allah there is great blessing. 

And Allah is the Source of strength.

Breast Feeding
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