Leeway to Breastfeed for Two and a Half Years When the Child Is Weak

Question

Zayd says that according to Imam Abu Hanifa ﵀ the correct period for breastfeeding a child is two years, while Bakr says the correct period is up to thirty (30) months. How many days should a child be breastfed according to Imam al-Shafi‘i ﵀ and according to Imam Abu Hanifa ﵀?

Answer

In the books of Hanafi fiqh the school of Imam Abu Hanifa ﵀ is recorded precisely as this: that the longest period of breastfeeding is thirty (30) months. According to the Imam’s two eminent students, Imam Abu Yusuf ﵀ and Imam Muhammad ﵀, and according to Imam al-Shafi‘i ﵀, it is two years, and this is the preponderant and chosen position (rajih and mukhtar).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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