Rely On Solar Months In Regard To The Duration Of Breastfeeding A Child?

Shar’i rulings regarding Islamic Sisters

Mufti Muhammad Haashim Khan Attari

Can we rely on solar months in regard to the duration of breastfeeding a child?

Question 1: What do the honourable scholars say regarding the following issue: It is permissible to breastfeed a child up to 2 years, but is that in terms of solar months or lunar months? Is it also valid to go by solar months?

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

Answer: A child can be breastfed for up to two years. It is necessary to go by lunar months (Muharram, Safar etc.) in this regard. It is Haraam to go by the 2 years of the solar calendar as that would result in breastfeeding a few days more than the 2 lunar years and it is Haraam for a woman to breastfeed a child after the completion of 2 (lunar) years. However, if a child was breastfed within 2 and a half years of the lunar calendar, then Hurmat-e-Rada’at (relations due to breastfeeding) will be established.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

What is the ruling on having ultrasound scans done to find out the gender of the baby?

Question 2: What do the honourable scholars say in regard to the following matter: What is the ruling on having ultrasound scans done in order to find out the gender of the baby in the condition that the doctor doing the scan is female, and it is necessary to show some part of the body below the navel as well, and the doctor also needs to touch that part of the body in order to apply a certain kind of medicine on it?

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

Answer: It is not permissible to have ultrasound scans done in order to know whether the baby in the womb of the mother is a boy or a girl, even if it is done by a female doctor. This is because the doctor will have to look at and touch some part of the body below the woman’s navel without an Islamically valid reason, and both of these things are not permissible for even a female doctor, as the area below the navel is considered Satr even for a woman and is obligatory to cover. It is also impermissible for another woman to look at or touch this area of a woman.

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

How is it for women to wear artificial jewellery?

Question 3: What do the honourable scholars say about the following matter: What is the Islamic legal ruling on women wearing jewellery made from metals other than gold and silver? Similarly, what is the ruling if it is made using a mixture of two different metals? (Questionnaire: Qaari Abdul Jaleel Qadiri, Lahore)

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

Answer: Expert scholars of our times have given the verdict permitting the use of artificial jewellery (jewellery made of materials other than gold and silver) for women due to ‘Umoom-e-Balwa (common plight) and Haraj (hardship). Therefore, women can wear jewellery made of iron, brass and other such metals, even if it is made with a combination of two metals.