Skip to content
MyDeenTools

Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 233of 286

۞ وَٱلْوَٰلِدَٰتُ يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلَٰدَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلَيْنِ ۖ لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُتِمَّ ٱلرَّضَاعَةَ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱلْمَوْلُودِ لَهُۥ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ لَا تُكَلَّفُ نَفْسٌ إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَا تُضَآرَّ وَٰلِدَةٌۢ بِوَلَدِهَا وَلَا مَوْلُودٌۭ لَّهُۥ بِوَلَدِهِۦ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱلْوَارِثِ مِثْلُ ذَٰلِكَ ۗ فَإِنْ أَرَادَا فِصَالًا عَن تَرَاضٍۢ مِّنْهُمَا وَتَشَاوُرٍۢ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا ۗ وَإِنْ أَرَدتُّمْ أَن تَسْتَرْضِعُوٓا۟ أَوْلَٰدَكُمْ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذَا سَلَّمْتُم مَّآ ءَاتَيْتُم بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۗ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌۭ﴿٢٣٣﴾

Translation (Sahih International)

Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period]. Upon the father is the mothers' provision and their clothing according to what is acceptable. No person is charged with more than his capacity. No mother should be harmed through her child, and no father through his child. And upon the [father's] heir is [a duty] like that [of the father]. And if they both desire weaning through mutual consent from both of them and consultation, there is no blame upon either of them. And if you wish to have your children nursed by a substitute, there is no blame upon you as long as you give payment according to what is acceptable. And fear Allah and know that Allah is Seeing of what you do.

Word-by-word meaning

۞ وَٱلْوَٰلِدَٰتُwal-wālidātuAnd the mothers
يُرْضِعْنَyur'ḍiʿ'nashall suckle
أَوْلَـٰدَهُنَّawlādahunnatheir children
حَوْلَيْنِḥawlayni(for) two years
كَامِلَيْنِ ۖkāmilaynicomplete
لِمَنْlimanfor whoever
أَرَادَarādawishes
أَنanto
يُتِمَّyutimmacomplete
ٱلرَّضَاعَةَ ۚl-raḍāʿatathe suckling
وَعَلَىwaʿalāAnd upon
ٱلْمَوْلُودِl-mawlūdithe father
لَهُۥlahu(on) him
رِزْقُهُنَّriz'quhunna(is) their provision
وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّwakis'watuhunnaand their clothing
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚbil-maʿrūfiin a fair manner
لَاlāNot
تُكَلَّفُtukallafuis burdened
نَفْسٌnafsunany soul
إِلَّاillāexcept
وُسْعَهَا ۚwus'ʿahāits capacity
لَاlāNot
تُضَآرَّtuḍārramade to suffer
وَٰلِدَةٌۢwālidatun(the) mother
بِوَلَدِهَاbiwaladihābecause of her child
وَلَاwalāand not
مَوْلُودٌۭmawlūdun(the) father
لَّهُۥlahu(be)
بِوَلَدِهِۦ ۚbiwaladihibecause of his child
وَعَلَىwaʿalāAnd on
ٱلْوَارِثِl-wārithithe (father's) heir
مِثْلُmith'lu(is a duty) like
ذَٰلِكَ ۗdhālikathat (of the father)
فَإِنْfa-inThen if
أَرَادَاarādāthey both desire
فِصَالًاfiṣālanweaning
عَنʿanthrough
تَرَاضٍۢtarāḍinmutual consent
مِّنْهُمَاmin'humāof both of them
وَتَشَاوُرٍۢwatashāwurinand consultation
فَلَاfalāthen no
جُنَاحَjunāḥablame
عَلَيْهِمَا ۗʿalayhimāon both of them
وَإِنْwa-inAnd if
أَرَدتُّمْaradttumyou want
أَنanto
تَسْتَرْضِعُوٓا۟tastarḍiʿūask another women to suckle
أَوْلَـٰدَكُمْawlādakumyour child
فَلَاfalāthen (there is) no
جُنَاحَjunāḥablame
عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumon you
إِذَاidhāwhen
سَلَّمْتُمsallamtumyou pay
مَّآmāwhat
ءَاتَيْتُمātaytumyou give
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۗbil-maʿrūfiin a fair manner
وَٱتَّقُوا۟wa-ittaqūAnd fear
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟wa-iʿ'lamūand know
أَنَّannathat
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
بِمَاbimāof what
تَعْمَلُونَtaʿmalūnayou do
بَصِيرٌۭbaṣīrun(is) All-Seer

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Suckling Period is only Two YearsThis is a direction from Allah to the mothers to suckle their infants through the complete term of suckling, which is two years. Hence, suckling after two years is not included in this address. Allah said:لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُتِمَّ الرَّضَاعَةَ(...who desire to complete the term of suckling,)Therefore, the suckling that establishes Tahrim (prohibition, i.e., one cannot marry his mother or sister from suckling) is what occurs before the two years end.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

Share this verse with others

WhatsAppX

These tools are free because of generous Muslims.

$10/month keeps this platform free for 50,000 people. Every visit earns you reward — Sadaqah Jariyah.

Support this project