Fasting and Breastfeeding

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds. We praise our Lord, and may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet ﷺ, his family, and his Companions.

Why does a breastfeeding mother not observe the fast, and what is the evidence regarding this matter?

Scholars have divided the issue of fasting for a breastfeeding mother into three situations.

• The first situation is when the mother fears for herself, worrying that she may become physically weakened.

• The second situation is when the mother fears both for herself and for her child. She is concerned that due to fasting and hunger, her milk supply may diminish.

• The third situationis when the fear concerns only the child. That is, the woman herself remains in excellent health, but as a result of fasting, her milk decreases, and the child may be deprived of their primary source of nourishment.

In all three of these cases, one may choose to observe the fast later, after Ramadan. This situation is because scholars equate the condition of a breastfeeding woman with that of a sick person. Sick people and travelers who miss fasts must make them up later. In the Holy Qur’an, in verse 185 of Surah Al-Baqarah, it is stated that a breastfeeding woman does not observe the fast and then makes it up later. Our religion has established this concession.

Is a mother required to fast if she is breastfeeding while also giving the child other food?

We once again return to the same ruling. It is possible that a woman breastfeeds while simultaneously providing other food. Nevertheless, there remains the possibility that, as a result of fasting, her milk supply may cease. Alternatively, harm may occur to the woman herself—she may become weakened and unable to breastfeed the child. If the same reason and risk are present, the woman does not observe the fast and makes it up after Ramadan. This is because the same risks and causes still exist. The previous Sharia ruling applies in this case as well.

What should a woman do if, due to pregnancy and two years of breastfeeding, she has accumulated ninety days of missed Ramadan fasts?

After these reasons cease to exist, the woman must make up the fasts. In our religion, there is a principle: if a person breaks or does not observe the fast for a valid excuse, they are obliged to make it up. Her situation is like that of someone who was sick or traveling during Ramadan and couldn’t fast. However, once these reasons are removed, such a person is required to make up the fasts at a later time. The situation of a breastfeeding or pregnant woman is the same. Therefore, in the following years, she must обязательно make up for the missed fasting days.

There is an opinion that during Ramadan a mother may replace breast milk with artificial formula and observe the fast.

In reality, this opinion is incorrect, because breast milk is the child’s right. This right has been indicated by Allah the Exalted in the Qur’an and is established by Sharia. Therefore, this right is not annulled under any circumstances. If our religion provides a concession that allows a breastfeeding woman not to fast and to make up the fast after Ramadan, then why impose hardship upon oneself after the Lord has granted ease?

If a woman acts in this manner, there is ẓulm (injustice) toward the child. For nothing can replace breast milk. Medical science has proven the well-known benefits of breast milk. Depriving a child of breast milk and deliberately refraining from breastfeeding constitutes an infringement upon the child’s right, and such conduct is impermissible.

Scholars point to the importance of breastfeeding. In their view, if a woman is not divorced, lives with her husband, and is capable of breastfeeding her child but does not do so, she incurs sin for this. Here I would like to mention one hadith. It pertains to those who, without a serious reason—for example, out of fear of changes to their body shape—deprive their children of maternal milk.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “I saw a group of women whose breasts were being eaten by snakes. I asked, ‘O Jibril, who are they?’ He replied, “These are the women who refused to breastfeed their children.”

That is, they did not breastfeed their children without a valid excuse. This hadith clearly indicates that it is not permissible to deprive a child of breast milk without a reason, because there is harm in this for the child.

In which cases may a woman refrain from breastfeeding?

If there is harm or a serious difficulty for the woman herself. However, in all other cases, refusing to breastfeed is incorrect. The aforementioned hadith is sufficient to clarify this issue. Women who discontinue breastfeeding for the sake of observing the fast act incorrectly. Our religion is most beautiful and provides ease. Breast milk is the right of the child, and it is not permissible to deprive the child of this right. Our religion permits a breastfeeding woman to make up the fast after Ramadan, because fasting may cause harm to the child and to the child’s health. This hadith provides a very clear explanation. It applies specifically to those women who deprive their children of breast milk without a valid reason, and this matter is indeed very serious. Women should not believe such fatwas as “Give the child other food and observe the fast.” These fatwas are incorrect. If the religion has granted a concession, why impose hardship upon oneself and violate the right of the child? This is undoubtedly wrong.

A breastfeeding woman receives a reward for nursing her child because she is fulfilling the command of her Lord.

This is stated in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 233: mothers are to breastfeed their children—this is the right of the child, and the mother receives a reward for it.

Just consider this: when a mother breastfeeds her child, the child’s healthy development is both her duty toward the child and her reward. In all cases, the mother is rewarded for this act because she is carrying out the command of her Lord.

Do family members and specialists who support breastfeeding mothers receive a reward?

There is no doubt that all those who provide guidance on breastfeeding and support a mother during this period receive a reward. This applies to parents, physicians, and specialists in this field.

This is because Almighty Allah says in the Qur’an, “Andcooperate in righteousness and piety, and do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in punishment.”

This is regarded as assistance in a righteous deed, for it involves supporting the mother in fulfilling the right of the child, thereby enabling her to carry out the command of her Lord and contributing to the child’s healthy development. Therefore, those who advise and support—whether parents, the husband, other family members, or specialists in this field—undoubtedly receive a reward.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever guides to something good will have a reward similar to that of the one who does it.”That is, everyone who provides moral support or gives guidance in any good deed receives a reward.

Author: Yashar Gurbanov
Theologian