In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
The Quran is the word of God and the best book ever revealed to the earth. This great book can be called the complete plan of human life, for in addition to teaching educational, ethical and religious issues, precious scientific information is also contained within this holy book will be deciphered the great Quranic commentator, Imam Mahdi (PBUH) after his reappearance.
Surah Al–Baqarah is the second surah of the Holy Quran and it is among the Medinan surahs. Although there are numerous ethical and educational rulings and issues in this surah, one can find some amazing miracles within the layers of those verses. In verse 233 of the Surah “Baqarah” of course, with the inclusion of “Bismillah Al-Rahman al-Rahim” according to the teachings of the infallibles, it is better to say that verse 234, God the Almighty has stated and expressed one of his great miracles.
Verse 233 form Al-Baqara Says:
“The mothers shall give suck to their offspring for two whole years, if the father desires to complete the term. But he shall bear the cost of their food and clothing on equitable terms. No soul shall have a burden laid on it greater than it can bear. No mother shall be treated unfairly on account of her child Nor father on account of his child. An heir shall be chargeable in the same way if they both decide on weaning, by mutual consent, and after due consultation There is no blame on them. If ye decide on a foster-mother for your offspring there is no blame on you provided ye pay (the mother) what ye offered, on equitable terms. But fear Allah and know that Allah sees well what ye do.” (233)
At first glance it seems that the above verse only deals with divine commandments and expresses purely moral and educational issues, but a deeper look at this verse can reveal great miracles in the natural sciences. The verse 233 of Surah al-Baqarah states:
“Mothers breastfeed their children for two years, for anyone who wants to breastfeed.”
Apparently, this verse is merely an educational and moral decree, but with much contemplation one can find great miracles in it.
In verse 233 of the Surah Al-Baqarah, it is explicitly stated that the mother must breastfeed her child for two full years (24 months) to complete the lactation period. This verse clearly states “2 years” about the “complete” lactation period.
In verse 14 of Sura Al-Loghman (albeit with the word “Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim” according to the teachings of the infallibles) (verse 15), the period of breastfeeding the child is two years:
“And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years’ twain was his weaning: (hear the command) “Show gratitude to Me and to thy parents: to Me is (thy final) Goal.” (14)
But what about the miracle mentioned?
With advances in the various fields of medical science, it has been found that breast milk is of the utmost importance in the nutrition and health of infants and infants and that no other milk or similar commercial products can replace it. Advances in medical science have shown that breast milk has the following benefits for infants:
1) Increased immune system activity.
2) Reduce the incidence of respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, middle ear infections.
3) Reduce the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome.
4) Increase IQ.
5) Reduce the incidence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
6) Reduce the incidence of obesity.
7) Reduce the incidence of allergies.
8) Reduce the incidence of dangerous necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants.
9) Reduce the incidence of allergies, asthma, celiac disease and cardiovascular disease in adulthood.
On the other hand, according to new discoveries, breastfeeding has many benefits for the mother. Some of these benefits include:
1) Strengthen the emotional bond between mother and child.
2) Faster postpartum cessation of uterine bleeding.
3) Reduce the incidence of breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers in the mother.
4) Reduced insulin dose in mothers with diabetes.
5) Reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in the mother.
6) Reduce the incidence of metabolic syndrome in the mother.
In view of the above, it is easy to see that the use of breast milk has many benefits for infants and mothers, and the religion of Islam in the centuries before the results of today’s discoveries are revealed, in the form of Holy Quranic verses and infallible narratives, has emphasized the use of breast milk.
But the main miracle, which is covered in the two verses mentioned, is much more amazing than the one mentioned! In fact, the main miracle of these verses is their emphasis on breastfeeding for 2 full years (24 months):
“The mothers shall give suck to their offspring for two whole years, if the father desires to complete the term. But he shall bear the cost of their food and clothing on equitable terms. No soul shall have a burden laid on it greater than it can bear. No mother shall be treated unfairly on account of her child Nor father on account of his child. An heir shall be chargeable in the same way if they both decide on weaning, by mutual consent, and after due consultation There is no blame on them. If ye decide on a foster-mother for your offspring there is no blame on you provided ye pay (the mother) what ye offered, on equitable terms. But fear Allah and know that Allah sees well what ye do.” (233)
According to verse 14 of surah Al-Luqman:
“And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years’ twain was his weaning: (hear the command) “Show gratitude to Me and to thy parents: to Me is (thy final) Goal.” (14)
As you have noted, the Holy Quran emphasizes 2 years (24 months) of mother-to-child breastfeeding, especially as in the Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 233 states: “For one who wishes to complete lactation”. This shows that for God Almighty, the perfection of mother-to-child breastfeeding is achieved within 2 years (24 months) of breastfeeding.
This explicit reference to the 2-year-old Quran (24 months) is one of the greatest miracles of the Quran 14 centuries ago, because research in recent decades has proven that the greatest benefits of breastfeeding to infants for two years are complete breastfeeding. (24 months):
WHO guideline about breastfeeding the child for two years
- B) According to the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, breastfeeding should be continued for at least 2 years (although the Academy has found that breastfeeding at least until the age of one is essential):
American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation about breastfeeding the child for 2 years
(C) According to the guidelines of the Canadian Pediatrics Association, breastfeeding must continue for at least 2 years of infant’s age:
Canadian Pediatrics Association recommendation about breastfeeding the child for 2 years
According to the above, we find that despite the disagreement between the accredited health organizations and the reputable pediatric associations, the major benefits of breast milk to infant are achieved with 2 years of breast-feeding, and this is what the Holy Quran has been for about 14 centuries ago.
But the surprises come when we know the benefits of breastfeeding for the breastfeeding mother at least after two years of breastfeeding:
- Breastfeeding for 2 years and breast cancer prevention: Numerous medical articles and books have highlighted the important role of breastfeeding in preventing breast cancer. But the important point is that in many field reference books and research, the number of 2 years of lactation plays a key role:
Danforth’s Obstetrics & (Gynecology) authoritative reference book on Obstetrics and Gynecology states that breastfeeding mothers must breast-feed their babies for at least 24 months in order to have the anti-cancer effects of breastfeeding. Older editions of the book as well as the new editions of the book (Revision 10 (2008)) appear:
Danforth’s Obstetrics & Gynecology, ed. 9 (2003) recommendation that “breastfeeding” should continue for at least 24 months to establish its anti-cancer properties in the mother’s body.
Danforth’s Obstetrics & Gynecology ed. 10 (2008) recommendation that “breastfeeding” should continue for at least 24 months in order to establish its anti-cancer properties in the mother’s body.
It should be noted that although the book mentions the cumulative breastfeeding time required to prevent breast cancer for at least 24 months, it is clear that a 2-year-old (24-month-old) mother is breastfeeding even one child (as per the Holy Quran) can also have the beneficial anti-cancer effect of breastfeeding even at the same time breastfeeding, and Muslim women can even prevent breast cancer with a 24-month (2-year-old) breastfeeding.
Importantly, despite changing a lot of content in two editions of Danforth’s 9th and 10th editions, the number of 24-month lactation remains constant.
However, the issue of breastfeeding for 24 months (2 years) to prevent breast cancer is not only mentioned in Danforth’s book, there are numerous articles that suggest that 24 months or 2 years, a key time for breastfeeding to prevent breast cancer, and interestingly, these articles are the result of research in different countries:
Beneficial effect of 24 Months Breastfeeding per Baby and Over 72 Months on Breast Cancer Prevention (China)
Beneficial effect of 24 Months Breastfeeding on Breast Cancer Prevention (USA)
Beneficial effect of 24 Month Breastfeeding on Breast Cancer Prevention (Greece)
Beneficial effect of 24 Month Breastfeeding on Breast Cancer Prevention (Greece)
Beneficial effect of 24 Months Breastfeeding on Breast Cancer Prevention (USA)
Of course, some studies have gone further and have found that breastfeeding for 2 years (24 months) per child is helpful in preventing breast cancer:
Beneficial effect of 24 Months Breastfeeding per Baby and Over 72 Months on Breast Cancer Prevention (China)
As you have seen, according to the Holy Quran and scientific research in recent decades, breastfeeding for 2 years (24 months), and especially for each child for 2 years (24 months), has beneficial effects in preventing breast cancer.
- B) Breast-feeding for 2 years and prevention of ovarian cancer: Numerous medical articles and books have highlighted the important role of breast-feeding in preventing ovarian cancer in the mother. But the important point is that in many reference books and field research, 2 years (24 months) of lactation plays a key role:
Beneficial effect of 24 months breastfeeding on preventing ovarian cancer.
As you have seen, according to the Holy Quran and scientific research in recent decades, breastfeeding for 2 years (24 months) has beneficial effects on the prevention of ovarian cancer.
- C) Breastfeeding for 2 years and Prevention of Myocardial Infarction: According to some well-documented scientific research, breastfeeding for 2 years (24 months) reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction and protects mother against these diseases:
Beneficial effect of 24 months breastfeeding on preventing coronary heart disease and maternal myocardial infarction.
As you have seen, according to the Holy Quran and scientific research in recent decades, breastfeeding for 2 years (24 months) has beneficial effects on preventing myocardial infarction.
The examples above are just part of the evidence on the benefits of breastfeeding for her and her baby for 2 years (24 months), and certainly more research will be done if more research is done.
According to the findings, it is found that 2 years of breastfeeding (24 months of breastfeeding) to a baby not only has many benefits for the baby (such as prevention of asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes), Necrotizing enter colitis, celiac disease, cardiovascular disease, infections and increased immune system activity and IQ, but also prevent breast, ovarian and cardiovascular diseases in the mother. The important point is that the beneficial effects mentioned above are all achieved within 2 years (24 months) of breastfeeding, and that breastfeeding should continue for 2 years for these effects to appear.
But the amazing thing is that in the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran it is also stated that the mother is breastfeeding her child for two years and the perfection of the mother breastfeeding her child is stated in the mother’s 2-year breastfeeding. This miracle of the Holy Quran 14 centuries ago and when there were still no advanced research tools and devices, in addition to showing the wisdom, and majesty of the Almighty God, makes the Islamic community a dynamic, health-conscious society as well. In other words, a Muslim mother who, according to the Holy Quran, breastfeeds her child for 2 full years (24 months), not only does this amount of breastfeeding help her child in all aspects, but also the breastfeeding period (2 years or 24 months) protects the mother against breast, ovarian and cardiovascular diseases as well.
Albeit, among the narrations of the infallibles there are numerous suggestions and prophecies about the benefits of breastfeeding which have a remarkable adaptation to the medical discoveries of the last centuries, but we have to let our dear readers do the research in order to avoid prolixity.
Thus we find that verse 233 of Al-Baqarah and verse 14 of Al-Luqman Quran Majid to breastfeed his mother for 2 years (24 months) is one of the great scientific miracles of the Holy Quran in medical sciences. It reveals a great scientific fact. Since the Holy Quran was revealed 1400 years ago in the dry, arid land of Arabia and at the heart of an illiterate Prophet, there is no doubt that this holy book will be powered by a high and wise Lord. His servant has come down because an uneducated man, in a society such as Arabia that day and in the absence of advanced tools, could not unravel such a great scientific mystery.
In fact, verse 233 of Surah al-Baqarah and verse 14 of Surah al-Loghman are one of the best documents that can be used against infidels and polytheists to prove Islam to the world. It is hoped that scientific discoveries such as these will lead the ignorant and ignorant humanity of the apocalypse to divine values.
One question: According to verse 15 of Surah Al-Haqqaf: The mother should breastfeed her child for thirty months. on the other hand, according to other verses of the Quran, the weaning period is two years, so what is the difference of 3 months?
Answer: The Holy Quran states in one verse the whole period of pregnancy and lactation: “… the period of carrying and weaning is thirty months …” (Haqqaf, 15)
In other verses it states two years of breastfeeding: “Mothers breastfeed their children for two full years, those who want to complete the breastfeeding period” … (Baqarah, 233)
“And she is weaned in two years …” (Al-Luqman, 14) thus the total pregnancy and lactation is at least thirty months, with twenty-four months of breastfeeding and six months of carriage.
Jurisprudents and commentators have used the sum of these verses and Islamic traditions which is a 24-month lactation period and a minimum pregnancy period of 6 months.
It is narrated that at the time of the Second Caliph, Ali prevented the execution of a woman who had given birth after six months of marriage and invoked the above verses to prove that the pregnancy was at least six months old and to give birth at six months. It was possible. (See: Wassal al-Shi’a, Sheikh Haram Ali, vol. 21, p. 382, The Institute of Al-Albit /Tafsir al-Mizan, Allameh Tabatabai, Vol. 18, p. 201 / Sample Commentary, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, Vol. 21, p. 327, Dar al-Aqb.)
Interestingly, according to research by medical researchers, it has been found that in reality the minimum effective pregnancy period is also 6 months, and infants born before 6 months have significantly higher mortality rates compared to the babies that born after 6 months.
As such, these verses do not contradict each other and are complementary to one another. So that a baby born at the age of 6 months needs to breastfeed at least 24 months (2 years) to stay healthy, and a baby born at 9 months, needs to breastfeed at least 21 months to have beneficial effects Breastfeeding benefits (Total Pregnancy + Breastfeeding = at least 30 months and the longer a child is preterm, the longer the breastfeeding period is longer) But the timescales are minimal times; According to the Holy Quran, all mothers, regardless of their child’s birth age, are 24 months (2 years old). (In principle, breastfeeding is recommended for all mothers for two years (whether they have mothers or premature babies), but premature infants at least 24 months and infants at least 21 months old should receive breastfeeding and should not consume less than that.
According to what was said, based on the Holy Quran 14 centuries ago, mothers must breastfeed their infants for 24 months (2 years) in order to complete their lactation, with beneficial effects and material and spiritual blessings of this period. Breastfeeding for mother and child has been proven by scientific discoveries of recent centuries and this issue has been recorded in another leaflet in the Holy Quran Miracle Scientific Office. with the efforts and efforts of Muslim scholars, we will discover more aspects of the miracles and miracles of the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
In the end, we ask God Almighty to speed up the reappearance of the savior of Humanity, Mahdi Sahib al-Zaman, so that through his endless guidance and valuable guidance, the human community will be expeditiously directed towards an idealistic society in which ethics, science, religion and culture are at the height of perfection.
With hope for reappearance of the promised savior, Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him)
By: Servant of Imam – September 2011
