FatwaFederal TerritoriesMarriage & Family
AL-KAFI #1851: HUKUM IBU SENGAJA TIDAK MENYUSUKAN ANAKNYA TANPA SEBAB MUNASABAH
What is the ruling on a mother who deliberately chooses not to breastfeed her child without a reasonable excuse, such as wanting to maintain her figure?
Short answer
Breastfeeding is the mother's choice and not an absolute obligation, and nobody may force her if she refuses.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Marriage & Family
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Breastfeeding is the mother's choice and not an absolute obligation, and nobody may force her if she refuses. It is nevertheless strongly encouraged, as mother's milk is best and a mother's affection is more sincere. It becomes obligatory when the baby refuses milk from other women, no suitable wet nurse is found, or the father cannot afford to hire one. The Shafie jurists also hold that the mother must give her child the first milk (colostrum).
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Menurut syarak, penyusuan adalah hak bagi seorang ibu untuk menentukan sama ada ingin menyusukan anaknya atau tidak.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #1851: HUKUM IBU SENGAJA TIDAK MENYUSUKAN ANAKNYA TANPA SEBAB MUNASABAH”, 15 December 2021. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/5083-al-kafi-1851-hukum-ibu-sengaja-tidak-menyusukan-anaknya-tanpa-sebab-munasabah. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-mother-not-breastfeeding-without-reason/