Is it obligatory to give breast milk to an infant who is unable to eat other food?
If a child needs to be nursed, it is obligatory to nurse him, as it is a fixed right for the infant according to Islamic law. Jurists have unanimously agreed on the obligation to nurse a child as long as he needs it and is within the nursing age. They justified this by stating that nursing for a child is like financial maintenance for an adult. Allah Almighty has commanded in the Quran to provide for the wet nurse of a child, which emphasizes the importance of this right. Scholars have also agreed that nursing has implications for prohibition and consanguinity, and the permissibility of looking and privacy, but not for the obligation of financial maintenance, inheritance, or guardianship in marriage. Scholars have deemed it disliked to seek nursing from a disbeliever, a dissolute woman, or one with an infectious disease. They have recommended choosing a wet nurse of good character and disposition. It is preferable for the mother to nurse her child due to its health and psychological benefits for both the child and the mother. These benefits include that mother's milk is sterile and ready, specifically designed to meet the child's needs, contains appropriate nutrients, enhances the psychological bond between the mother and child, and breastfeeding also helps with birth control for the mother.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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