Message #22317

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Okay, I'm back.  I'll continue with the answer to your query. 

As we all know, pre-term births can happen in some cases for various reasons, it is not the norm and the Quran does not discuss this issue. 

That idea of pre-term birth in the Quran comes from a traditional narration which is a complete misunderstanding and thus a misinterpretation of a portion of the Quranic Verse 46:15 of Surah Al-Ahqaf, quote:  “ .. and the bearing of him and the weaning of him is thirty months, ..”  (46:15).

The mention of 30 months in V.46:15 has been distorted with a wrong explanation by traditionalists ensuing from an incorrect calculation.

Here’s how the misinterpretation got constructed:

In two other Verses of the Quran, 31:14 of Surah Luqman and 2:233 of Surah Al-Baqrah, the Noble Quran states:

“- His mother bears him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years -”  31:14.

“Mothers shall suckle their children for two whole years; (that is) for those who wish to complete the nursing (period).”  2:233.

In the above 2 Verses, two years is stated as the standard or default period for breastfeeding a baby and then, to start feeding that baby with other suitable foods. This comprises of the approximate nursing period of a newborn as they grow.  This does NOT imply that it is Haram or prohibited to  stop breastfeeding the child a little before or after the child is 2- years-old.  It depends entirely on every personal situation or circumstances.  But the traditionalists have taken the period of 2 years or 24 months as an exact period for nursing the child.  Based on this traditional misperception, they have thoroughly misinterpreted a portion of Verse 46:15 from Surah Al-Ahqaf which I quote again for reference:

“and the bearing of him and the weaning of him is thirty months, ..”  (46:15).

According to traditionalists the breakup of 30 months is explained as follows:

24 months for breastfeeding and weaning the child is taken by them as a rigidly exact period of time that cannot be lessened nor extended.  Thus, 24 months subtracted from 30 months leaves a balance of 6 months.  Thus, our traditional sisters and brothers jump to the conclusion that V.46:15 refers to the baby being born after 6 months instead of 9 months. And thus, according to their very fallacious reading, they presume V.46:15 refers to pre-term birth after 6 months of pregnancy, as if it is the norm.  This is not the explanation contained in Ayat 46:15.

The actual concept of V.46:15 is as follows:

It is very simple.  Verse 46:15 reflects on the total length of the minimal period during which a mother undergoes hardships from the start of pregnancy, throughout the breastfeeding period until the baby is old enough to eat a little on solid foods (often called weaning).  This entire stretch of time is approximately stated as 30 months (on average) in normal cases.  A baby is born 9 months after conception.  By the time the baby is 21 months old (that is, close to 2 years), makes it a total period of 30 months from the time of conception.  By the time the baby is approximately 2-years-old, breast feeding is lessened (or ended in some cases) and the baby starts eating on other suitable foods (apart from or in addition to mother’s milk) known as the weaning period.  This is the message the Verse conveys when it states: “and the bearing of him and the weaning of him is thirty months,”