Back to search

Is it permissible to recite the Qur’an while breastfeeding a child, and is it permissible to combine prayers due to the child's demands that prevent performing the prayer on time?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is permissible for a breastfeeding mother to recite the Quran while nursing her child, provided she performs ablution (wudu') if she wishes to touch the mushaf (physical copy of the Quran). Prayers must be performed at their designated times, and it is not permissible to combine two prayers except for a valid excuse such as illness, travel, or rain. Some scholars have permitted a breastfeeding mother to combine prayers if it is difficult for her to repeatedly purify herself from the infant's impurities. However, if this difficulty does not exist (as is the case with the use of diapers), she is not permitted to combine prayers, because prayer does not take a long time. It is preferable to utilize the time when the infant is asleep and calm to perform the prayer. Prayer is a great pillar [of Islam], and its observance is a cause for blessing and success.

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

Read the full answer on Ftawy