In Surah Al-Baqarah (2:233), the Quran declares: "Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing." This precise recommendation on the optimal duration of breastfeeding was revealed in the 7th century.
"وَالْوَالِدَاتُ يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلَادَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلَيْنِ ۖ لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُتِمَّ الرَّضَاعَةَ" — "Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing." (2:233)
For centuries, the optimal duration of breastfeeding was debated in the medical world. In the 20th century, artificial feeding was widely promoted, and the recommended duration of breastfeeding was often reduced to a few months.
From the 1980s-1990s, scientific studies began to demonstrate the considerable benefits of prolonged breastfeeding. In 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) published an official recommendation: exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, then continued with complementary feeding until 2 years or more.
This WHO recommendation, based on decades of scientific research, corresponds exactly to the two-year duration mentioned in the Quran. Breast milk provides the infant with antibodies, perfectly adapted nutrients, and growth factors essential for the development of the immune system.
Modern studies show that breastfeeding reduces the risks of infections, allergies, obesity, and diabetes in children, while protecting the mother against certain cancers and promoting the mother-child bond.
The fact that the Quran recommended, more than 1,400 years ago, a breastfeeding duration that modern science only confirmed at the beginning of the 21st century constitutes a remarkable example of convergence between the Quranic text and contemporary scientific discoveries.