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What is the interpretation of the Hadiths related to "al-Ghail," and is there evidence of harm from breastfeeding during pregnancy? And should breastfeeding be replaced in this situation? And what is the minimum duration of breastfeeding mentioned in the Holy Quran, and how is it calculated?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, intended to prohibit "al-ghilah" (intercourse with a nursing mother), but then he withdrew when he learned about the situation of other nations, such as the Persians and the Romans, who practiced it without harm to their children. This was also to avoid imposing hardship on those who had only one wife. Scholars have differed regarding the ruling on al-ghilah. Some have permitted it due to the lack of consistent proof of harm, stating that the prohibition was for discouragement (tanzih) or guidance. Others have weakened the narrations prohibiting it, while some have argued that harm might manifest later. If a nursing mother becomes pregnant, it is safer to prevent the child from nursing from her and to seek another wet nurse.

As for the minimum duration of breastfeeding, there is no specific legal limit. The matter is left to the consultation of the parents and their assessment of what is best.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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