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Al-Baqarah 233

Ayah 233 of 286 · Medinan

۞ وَٱلۡوَٰلِدَٰتُ يُرۡضِعۡنَ أَوۡلَٰدَهُنَّ حَوۡلَيۡنِ كَامِلَيۡنِۖ لِمَنۡ أَرَادَ أَن يُتِمَّ ٱلرَّضَاعَةَۚ وَعَلَى ٱلۡمَوۡلُودِ لَهُۥ رِزۡقُهُنَّ وَكِسۡوَتُهُنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۚ لَا تُكَلَّفُ نَفۡسٌ إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۚ لَا تُضَآرَّ وَٰلِدَةُۢ بِوَلَدِهَا وَلَا مَوۡلُودٞ لَّهُۥ بِوَلَدِهِۦۚ وَعَلَى ٱلۡوَارِثِ مِثۡلُ ذَٰلِكَۗ فَإِنۡ أَرَادَا فِصَالًا عَن تَرَاضٖ مِّنۡهُمَا وَتَشَاوُرٖ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡهِمَاۗ وَإِنۡ أَرَدتُّمۡ أَن تَسۡتَرۡضِعُوٓاْ أَوۡلَٰدَكُمۡ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذَا سَلَّمۡتُم مَّآ ءَاتَيۡتُم بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۗ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٞ ٢٣٣

Mothers may nurse [i.e., breastfeed] their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period]. Upon the father is their [i.e., the mothers'] provision and their clothing according to what is acceptable. No person is charged with more than his capacity. No mother should be harmed through her child, and no father through his child. And upon the [father's] heir is [a duty] like that [of the father]. And if they both desire weaning through mutual consent from both of them and consultation, there is no blame upon either of them. And if you wish to have your children nursed by a substitute, there is no blame upon you as long as you give payment according to what is acceptable. And fear Allāh and know that Allāh is Seeing of what you do.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

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Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. ۞ وَٱلۡوَٰلِدَٰتُAnd the motherswal-wālidātu
  2. يُرۡضِعۡنَshall suckleyur'ḍiʿ'na
  3. أَوۡلَٰدَهُنَّtheir childrenawlādahunna
  4. حَوۡلَيۡنِ(for) two yearsḥawlayni
  5. كَامِلَيۡنِۖcompletekāmilayni
  6. لِمَنۡfor whoeverliman
  7. أَرَادَwishesarāda
  8. أَنtoan
  9. يُتِمَّcompleteyutimma
  10. ٱلرَّضَاعَةَۚthe sucklingl-raḍāʿata
  11. وَعَلَىAnd uponwaʿalā
  12. ٱلۡمَوۡلُودِthe fatherl-mawlūdi
  13. لَهُۥ(on) himlahu
  14. رِزۡقُهُنَّ(is) their provisionriz'quhunna
  15. وَكِسۡوَتُهُنَّand their clothingwakis'watuhunna
  16. بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۚin a fair mannerbil-maʿrūfi
  17. لَاNotlā
  18. تُكَلَّفُis burdenedtukallafu
  19. نَفۡسٌany soulnafsun
  20. إِلَّاexceptillā
  21. وُسۡعَهَاۚits capacitywus'ʿahā
  22. لَاNotlā
  23. تُضَآرَّmade to suffertuḍārra
  24. وَٰلِدَةُۢ(the) motherwālidatun
  25. بِوَلَدِهَاbecause of her childbiwaladihā
  26. وَلَاand notwalā
  27. مَوۡلُودٞ(the) fathermawlūdun
  28. لَّهُۥ(be)lahu
  29. بِوَلَدِهِۦۚbecause of his childbiwaladihi
  30. وَعَلَىAnd onwaʿalā
  31. ٱلۡوَارِثِthe (father's) heirl-wārithi
  32. مِثۡلُ(is a duty) likemith'lu
  33. ذَٰلِكَۗthat (of the father)dhālika
  34. فَإِنۡThen iffa-in
  35. أَرَادَاthey both desirearādā
  36. فِصَالًاweaningfiṣālan
  37. عَنthroughʿan
  38. تَرَاضٖmutual consenttarāḍin
  39. مِّنۡهُمَاof both of themmin'humā
  40. وَتَشَاوُرٖand consultationwatashāwurin
  41. فَلَاthen nofalā
  42. جُنَاحَblamejunāḥa
  43. عَلَيۡهِمَاۗon both of themʿalayhimā
  44. وَإِنۡAnd ifwa-in
  45. أَرَدتُّمۡyou wantaradttum
  46. أَنtoan
  47. تَسۡتَرۡضِعُوٓاْask another women to suckletastarḍiʿū
  48. أَوۡلَٰدَكُمۡyour childawlādakum
  49. فَلَاthen (there is) nofalā
  50. جُنَاحَblamejunāḥa
  51. عَلَيۡكُمۡon youʿalaykum
  52. إِذَاwhenidhā
  53. سَلَّمۡتُمyou paysallamtum
  54. مَّآwhatmā
  55. ءَاتَيۡتُمyou giveātaytum
  56. بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۗin a fair mannerbil-maʿrūfi
  57. وَٱتَّقُواْAnd fearwa-ittaqū
  58. ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
  59. وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْand knowwa-iʿ'lamū
  60. أَنَّthatanna
  61. ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
  62. بِمَاof whatbimā
  63. تَعۡمَلُونَyou dotaʿmalūna
  64. بَصِيرٞ(is) All-Seerbaṣīrun

Tafsir

Mothers who intend to complete the period of breastfeeding should nurse their children for two full years. The husband and father of a child is responsible for the maintenance and clothing of a divorced mother who breast feeds her child in accordance with the customs of society that do not go against the sacred law. No person is burdened beyond what he is able to do. No parent is allowed to use the child as a means to harm the other. The heir (who would inherit from the child if the child were to pass away leaving behind wealth) shall be responsible, if the father dies without leaving any wealth, for the same obligations as that of the father. If the parents decide to wean the child before two years finish, then there is no sin on them, if this is done after full consultation and agreement that it is in the child’s best interests. If you wish to hire wet-nurses for your children instead of their mothers, there is no sin in doing so provided you pay the agreed wages of such wet-nurses without any shortfall or delay. Be mindful of Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions, and know that Allah sees everything you do and nothing is hidden from Him. He will reward you for any action you do.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran