Breastfeeding past two years

Question:

May Allah preserve you O Shaykh of ours.

It is known that the period of breastfeeding is two years, but is there anything wrong with a woman breastfeeding her child more than this?

May Allah grant you success.

Answer:

The ‘Allāmah Ibn Bāz, may Allah have mercy upon him, was asked:

“What is the ruling, may Allah preserve you, on those that exceed two years in breastfeeding their child?

Is there an affect of this upon her or the child?”

He answered:

“It is permissible to exceed over the period of two years if there was a need.

What is obligatory is that the breastfeeding is for two years.
As Allah, Exalted is He the Most High, said:

(وَٱلْوَٰلِدَٰتُ يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلَٰدَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلَيْنِ ۖ لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُتِمَّ ٱلرَّضَاعَةَ)

“The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years, (that is) for those (parents) who desire to complete the term of suckling”
[Al-Baqara:233]

So if the child was not eating and needed to be breastfed past the two year mark, there is no harm, breastfeed until the child suffices through eating food.

[End of speech]

Relayed from his website.

Answered by:
Shaykh Abu Hatim Yusuf Al-‘Inaabi Al-Jazaa’iree – may Allaah preserve him.

Source:
t.me/abouhatem/221

Answered on: 11th, Rabee’ Al-Aakhar, 1438H

Translated by:
Abu ‘Abdirrahman ‘Abdullaah bin Ahmed Ash-Shingaani