I consulted a couple of Muslim friends and gave them the 'gist of the
conversation that's been going on.

Here's what one had to say...I'm posting with permission.  Her husband is
from Damascus, Syria, has a PhD in Classical Arabic Linguistics.  They are
both very religious and read Qu'raan  in it's original form.  If you don't
want to read the whole thing, the end result is that 2 y of breastfeeding is
the minimum, not the maximum, and not just a general guideline.

She also mentioned that English translations of the Qur'aan are horrible as
Arabic doesn't translate well.  I understand this....the English translations
of the old testament vary greatly from the Hebrew versions - vary in ways
that *significantly* change the meaning of what is said.

Tasneem writes:

<<The problem with the discussion that has
been going on is people have just been looking at the Qur'aan itself and
not the collections of authenticated sayings of the Prophet (referred to
as Sunnah or Hadith collections) which are looked to in order to explain
the Qur'an when there is a question.  I don't have the exact source for it
at the moment, (I can get it or Saraji might have it if she contacted
you) but there is a hadith in which the Prophet is talking about
breastfeeding and the relationship of the adoptive mother.  Adopted
children are not considered the same as blood relations with respect to
whether or not you can marry them, whether or not you have to cover in
front of them, etc., except in the case of a child who is breastfed a
minimum of 3 times by the adoptive mother.  As the Prophet says in this
case "breastfeeding makes forbidden what blood relations makes
forbidden" meaning just as it is forbidden to marry your blood mother,
father, sister, brother, etc., if you breastfeed the adopted child the
minimum number of times, they are considered the same in this
respect.  Otherwise they are not.  In the course of this saying of the
Prophet, he says that this condition of breastfeeding is only fulfilled if
the breastfeeding takes place BEFORE the age of 2.  This means that the
Prophet is assuming that breastfeeding does take place after the age of 2
and he has no problem with it because if he did he would have commented on
it.  Breastfeeding an adopted child who is over the age of 2, however,
cannot establish the milk relationship.

As far as a maximum age, I have found that the consensus seems to be that
7 is the absolute maximum age, because 7 is considered the "age of
awareness" when children have to begin (although not strictly, this
happens at puberty) separation of the sexes, proper clothing, and must
begin to pray and observe other religious requirements.   I find it cool
that this coincides with Dettwyler's research.

Personally, I have found that most Muslims who believe 2 years is maximum
are generally non-Arabic speaking people who read the Qur'an in an
ill-informed translation.  The orthodox scholars of Damascus have taught
my teacher that 2 years is minimum.  My husband learned this also.  My MIL
breastfed my youngest SIL until she was 5 years old and I understand that
this is still quite common in traditional societies.>>

end of Tasneem's quote...

katherine in atl

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