Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salam Alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh

I have 2 questions, In sha` Allah:

1) I have heard that the prophet SAW recommended that a woman stop breastfeeding if she becomes pregnant while breastfeeding, as the nutrients belong to the developing fetus. I know that Allah SWT, in the Quran, recommends breastfeeding for two years. Are you aware of any such hadith.

2) It is the practice of many muslims to "wipe" their face with their hands after making any du`a. I had always been told that this is the sunnah of the prophet SAW. My friend suggested that this is actually bid`a and challenged me to find a hadith. Are you aware of any hadith, fatwa for this?

J`zakallahu Khairun

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Answer:

Breast feeding while pregnant and wipe face after dua

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: I have heard that the prophet SAW recommended that a woman stop breastfeeding if she becomes pregnant while breastfeeding, as the nutrients belong to the developing fetus. I know that Allah SWT, in the Quran, recommends breastfeeding for two years. Are you aware of any such hadith.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 223: 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.

Allah Subhanah recommends the legal duration of two years breastfeeding for the infant; but if one for any reason feeds more or less than two years, there is no harm and no sin.

Q-1A: Are you aware of any such hadith.

To the best of our humble knowledge, we have not come across an authentic hadith whereby the Prophet (saws) specifically recommended a mother to stop feeding her child if she became pregnant with another.

The woman should obviously take medical advice which would be in the best interest of her and her childrens’ health and act upon it. It would indeed be advisable to stop the breast feeding of the child, if her breast feeding would affect hers or the unborn baby’s health in anyway.

Q-2: It is the practice of many muslims to "wipe" their face with their hands after making any du`a. I had always been told that this is the sunnah of the prophet SAW. My friend suggested that this is actually bid`a and challenged me to find a hadith. Are you aware of any hadith, fatwa for this?

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 1487 Narrated by Yazid ibn Sa'id al-Kindi

When the Prophet (saws) made supplication (to Allah) he would raise his hands and wipe his face with his hands.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 1480 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas

The Prophet (saws) said: “Supplicate Allah with the palms of your hands; do not supplicate Him with their backs upwards. When you finish supplication, wipe your faces with them.”

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.631 Narrated by Aisha

“During the Prophet's (saws) fatal illness, he used to recite the Mu'auwidhat (Surat An-Nas and Surat Al-Falaq) and then blow his breath over his body. When his illness was aggravated, I used to recite those two Suras and blow my breath over him and make him rub his body with his own hand for its blessings." (Ma'mar asked Az-Zuhri: ‘How did the Prophet use to blow?’ Az-Zuhri said: ‘He used to blow on his hands and then passed them over his face.’)

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.536A Narrated by Aisha

Whenever the Prophet (saws) went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over it after reciting Surat Al-Ikhlas, Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas, and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he was able to rub, starting with his head, face and front of his body. He used to do that three times.

Rubbing the hands over the face after supplication, or after reciting Surah Ikhlaas, Surah Falaq, and Surah An-Naas at bedtime is a Sunnah of the Prophet (saws).

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan