Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (13/432)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

and this is why, when one exercises caution in one respect, one neglects it in another. We therefore return to the basic principle: that it has no legal effect. Hence, this view is the one that accords with the legal principles and foundational rules.

Within the Two Years, …

His statement, “within the two years,” is another condition: namely, that all five feedings must take place within the two years following the child’s birth. Thus, if a child is born on the first of Muharram in the year 20 AH, the period of nursing ends on the first of Muharram in the year 22 AH. So long as the child is within those two years, nursing establishes the legal effect; once the two years have ended, it does not.

The evidence is Allah’s saying:

“Mothers may nurse their children for two complete years—for those who wish to complete the term of nursing.” [al-Baqarah 2:233]

They said: the completion of nursing is within two years; whatever exceeds that falls outside it, while anything less falls short of the complete term of nursing. Moreover, two years constitute a clear and decisive dividing line, and are therefore more deserving of consideration than any other criterion.

The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that nursing within the two years establishes the legal effect, whether the child has been weaned or not. Thus, even if it were assumed that he was weaned after one year, then in the second year he ate bread, cheese, and everything else, yet nursed, the nursing would establish the legal effect. Even if he was not nourished by milk, his nursing establishes the legal effect as long as he remains within the two years.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, held that the determining factor is weaning: whatever takes place before weaning establishes the legal effect, even if it is after two years; and whatever takes place after weaning does not establish the legal effect, even if it is within the two years. He supported this, may Allah have mercy on him, with textual evidence and rational consideration. As for the textual evidence, it is the well-known hadith: “There is no nursing except that which develops the bones”

فلذلك لا تحتاط من جهة إلا أهملت من جهة أخرى، فنرجع إلى الأصل وهو عدم التأثير، ولذلك كان هذا القول هو المتمشي على القواعد والأصول. فِي الْحَوْلَيْنِ، .............. قوله: «في الحولين» هذا شرط آخر، يعني أن تكون الرضعات الخمس كلها في الحولين من ولادة الطفل، فإذا ولد في الواحد من محرم عام عشرين، فينتهي وقت الرضاع في الواحد من محرم عام اثنين وعشرين، فما دام في الحولين فالرضاع مؤثر، وإذا انتهت الحولان فالرضاع غير مؤثر، والدليل قول الله ﵎: ﴿وَالْوَالِدَاتُ يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلَادَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلَيْنِ لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُتِمَّ الرَّضَاعَةَ﴾ [البقرة: ٢٣٣] فقالوا: تمام الرضاعة في حولين، وما زاد فهو خارج، وما دونهما ناقص عن تمام الرضاعة؛ ولأن الحولين حدٌّ فاصل بيِّن قاطع، فكان أولى بالاعتبار من سواه. وظاهر كلام المؤلف: أن الرضاع في الحولين مؤثر، سواء فطم الصبي أم لم يفطم، حتى لو فرض أنه فطم في سنة، وفي السنة الثانية كان يأكل الخبز والجبن وكل شيء ورضع فالرضاع يؤثر، ولو كان لا يتغذى باللبن، فإنه ما دام في الحولين فرضاعه مؤثر. واختار شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية ﵀ أن العبرة بالفطام، فما كان قبل الفطام فهو مؤثر ولو كان بعد الحولين، وما كان بعد الفطام فليس بمؤثر ولو في الحولين، واستدل ﵀ بالأثر والنظر، أما الأثر فالحديث المعروف: «لا رضاع إلا ما أنشز