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Family & Marriage
What is the ruling for breastfeeding longer than two years?
So for breastfeeding Allah says in the Quran 'Hawlayni Kamilayn' which means two complete years Islamically. So that would be the general principle as to the maximum duration as a guidance based on the Quran and on that verse. Now this is the view of the majority of scholars. Imam Abu Hanifa had the view that he extended it for an extra six months to actually make it 30 months based on various other narrations. And so that view is also valid. Now if you need to, for example, breastfeed your child for longer, let's say it's a medical condition, let's say it's extremely difficult in terms of the weaning process, then you can go over the two years as I mentioned. But the general guidance is that by two years that one would stop breastfeeding based on the verse 'Hawlayni Kamilayn' as Allah mentioned in the Quran, two complete years.