General

RAHIM

RAHIM

By: Yasmin Hammami 

Introduction: 

In recognition of Breastfeeding Awareness Month, it is important to highlight the benefits and options available for infant nutrition. Breastfeeding is often considered the gold standard for nourishing newborns, offering a range of health benefits for both mother and child. However, it’s essential to recognize that breastfeeding may not be feasible or the preferred choice for every family. Understanding the various feeding options and their respective benefits and challenges allows parents to make informed decisions that best suit their circumstances and values. 

 In the context of the Muslim community, breastfeeding holds additional significance. The Quran not only recommends breastfeeding for the first two years of a child’s life but also acknowledges it as a basic human right. This religious endorsement further underscores the importance of considering breastfeeding as a viable option for Muslim parents. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to remember that every family’s situation is unique, and the choice to breastfeed, use donor milk, or rely on infant formula is deeply personal. No matter what a parent chooses, understanding the benefits and risks of each option is vital to ensuring the best possible outcome for both the child and the parents. 

In this blog post, we will explore the three main options for infant nutrition: breastfeeding, donor milk, and infant formula and aim to provide knowledge needed to make decisions that best for families.  

1. Breastfeeding

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, and to continue breastfeeding for the first one to two years of life. Similarly,  the Quran advocates for breastfeeding for two years, highlighting it as a fundamental human right, as seen in Surat al-Baqarah verse 233.  (Van et al., 2023). The alignment of these recommendations underscores the universal recognition of breastfeeding’s value. 

For mothers, breastfeeding provides profound physical health benefits. Numerous studies have shown that it can lower the risk of several types of cancer, including breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer. Additionally, breastfeeding has been linked to reduced cardiovascular issues, such as hypertension (Iwuagwu et al., 2024). The mental health benefits are equally significant; the oxytocin released during breastfeeding can help 

alleviate postpartum depression by lowering stress levels and fostering a sense of love and bonding towards the baby and partner (Iwuagwu et al., 2024). 

Infants also reap substantial benefits from breastfeeding. Breast milk offers vital immune support and promotes gastrointestinal and neurodevelopment. Unlike infant formula, breast milk contains numerous hormones, enzymes, and immunoglobulins that are essential for a baby’s development (Green Corkins & Shurley, 2016).  New studies have also shown that there are lifelong benefits of breastfeeding. For instance, a Canadian study found a correlation between breastfeeding and gray matter while another study showed an increase in white matter and total brain volume (Grevet et al., 2023). These developmental benefits are especially crucial for premature infants, who gain significant advantages from the nutritional and developmental support provided by breast milk.

As with any method of nutrition, breastfeeding has some drawbacks. It can be very time consuming and physically draining, which may be difficult to manage for breastfeeding people who work. Additionally, parents of preterm infants may struggle to lactate. Generational trauma is another valid reason that parents may opt out of breastfeeding. When enslaved Afrcians were brought to the US, they were bred and treated as cattle, with their breasts being described as an animal’s udders (Van et al., 2023). Thus, many African American people decide not to breastfeed as a way to express their bodily autonomy. A person’s decision to breastfeed or not is completely dependent on their wants and needs. If they decide not to, donor breast milk and infant formula are the most popular alternatives.

2. Donor Milk

For parents who cannot breastfeed, but still wish to provide their infants with the benefits of breast milk, donor milk is a valuable alternative. Donor milk is breast milk that has been donated by lactating women, screened, and pasteurized to ensure its safety. This option can be beneficial for preterm infants or those with specific health needs that make breast milk the best nutritional choice. 

In Islam, if a baby is nursed by another person at least five times, then a milk kinship is formed (Hamjah et al., 2022)​​. This can impact who the infant’s mahrams are. Because of the possibility of kinship, many Muslims are hesitant to use donor milk. However, the Minnesota Islamic Council issues a fatwa (an Islamic ruling) that donor milk does not cause a milk kinship to form (Minnesota, 2023). This is because donor milk is combined 

with the milk from many donors and pasteurized, so the milk does not come from one singular donor. Thus, donor milk should be considered by Muslims who prefer to avoid 

infant formula. However, it should be noted that the pasteurization of the donor milk reduces some of the benefits of breastfeeding because some enzymes and probiotics deform due to the heat applied. Additionally, donor milk may be difficult to obtain because it is typically prioritized for preterm infants. However, many parents prefer donor milk due to the convenience similar to that of infant formula while maintaining their preference of natural breast milk. 

3. Infant Formula

Infant formula is a valid option for infant nutrition, especially when the infant is allergic to or cannot digest breastmilk, and/or when the feeding parent is unable to produce milk and does not have access to donor milk. While infant formula is necessary for certain families, it is also important to understand the potential risks associated with it. Firstly, many parents are susceptible to misleading advertisements by formula companies, portraying breastfeeding as inconvenient while claiming formula is the same, if not better, than natural breast milk (Pomeranz et al., n.d.). This can falsely diminish a person’s self-confidence in breastfeeding, which can actually impact lactation. It is also important to note that each step in making infant formula at home is another opportunity for bacterial exposure due to the lack of a sterile field (Green Corkins & Shurley, 2016). Additionally, infant formula consumption is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome due to the high levels of protein in formula (Liotto, 2020). Although protein is essential for development, natural breast milk begins with high levels of protein but declines overtime, whereas infant formula remains fixed. This can also cause an increased stress on the infant’s kidneys because the kidneys need to work more to excrete the excess protein (Liotto, 2020). Another nutritional drawback of infant formula is that it lacks antibodies, hormones, and enzymes that are only found in breastmilk (Green Corkins & Shurley, 2016). These components of breastmilk significantly contribute to the healthy development of the immune system.

Whatever feeding option a parent chooses, it is crucial not to place any shame on them for their decisions. Each method is a valid choice, and so is a combination of all three. Most importantly, it is your right as a Muslim parent to breastfeed if that is what you want. If your work does not have a space for you to breastfeed or pump, advocate for yourself and exercise your Islamic right. 

References

Green Corkins, K., & Shurley, T. (2016). What’s in the Bottle? A Review of Infant Formulas. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 31(6), 723–729. https://doi.org/10.1177/0884533616669362

Grevet, L. T., Teixeira, D. S., Pan, P. M., Jackowski, A. P., Zugman, A., Miguel, E. C., Rohde, L. A., & Salum, G. A. (2023). The association between duration of breastfeeding and the trajectory of brain development from childhood to young adulthood: An 8-year longitudinal study. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-023-02283-9

Hamjah, S., Che Abdul Rahim, N., Muhammad Hashim, N., Bahari, N., Mohd. Kusrin, Z., Abdul Majid, L., Saidon, R., & Illias, M. Z. (2022). A quantitative study on Muslim milk mother’s understanding of the Islamic concept of wet nursing. PLoS ONE, 17(5), e0265592. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265592

Iwuagwu, C., Chen, M. J., Hoyt-Austin, A. E., Kair, L., Fix, M., & Schwarz, E. B. (2024). Awareness of the Maternal Health Benefits of Lactation Among U.S. Pregnant Individuals. Women’s Health Issues: Official Publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health, 34(3), 283–290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2023.12.004

Liotto, N. (2020). Protein content of infant formula for the healthy full-term infant. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 111(5), 946–947. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa061

Minnesota, C. (2023, November 16). First-of-its-kind Islamic fatwa issued encouraging the use of pasteurized donor breast milk for Muslim babies in the hospital. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-of-its-kind-islamic-

Fatwa-issued-encouraging-the-use-of-pasteurized-donor-breast-

milk-for-muslim-babies-in-the-hospital-301991383.html

Pomeranz, J. L., Chu, X., Groza, O., Cohodes, M., & Harris, J. L. (n.d.). Breastmilk or infant formula? Content analysis of infant feeding advice on breastmilk substitute manufacturer websites. Public Health Nutrition, 26(5), 934–942. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021003451

Van, T., Varadi, D., Adams, A. C., & Feldman-Winter, L. (2023). Promotion, Protection, and Support of Breastfeeding as a Human Right: A Narrative Review. Breastfeeding Medicine: The Official Journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, 18(8), 561–570. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2023.0061

Bismilah ar-rahman ar-rahim. I begin today in the name of our Lord – most gracious, most merciful. We are rooted in the whole of Bismillah, which contains the two words Raḥmān and Raḥīm, or divine mercy and compassion. Raḥmān and Raḥīm find their roots in the word, Rehm, or womb. We know, Ya Rahman, that Your mercy for us is more than we can imagine – it is greater than the mercy a person feels toward that which is in their womb.

Ya Hafiz, the One who Protects. We are living during a time of great unrest. Of horrifying reproductive injustice – right here a mile from this hotel to across the world in Sudan and Palestine. Too many of our siblings are not able to be pregnant (or not be pregnant) safely. Too many of our siblings are unable to parent their children when food and water is scarce and hospitals are being bombed. Too many of our siblings are experiencing state violence: criminalized for their own pregnancy losses, or witnessing their loved ones suffering from police brutality. We pray that you bring security to our communities facing unrest, facing genocide and oppression. Facing inexplicable loss and horrifying violence.  There is no reproductive justice without a Free Palestine. Without an un-exploited Congo. Without a liberated Sudan. 

Ya Mujeeb, the One who responds. Hear the cries of grieving families as they bid farewell to their loved ones in warzones, in famine, in our backyards inflicted by police brutality and envelope them in your compassion. Hear the cries of children as they face the reality of the newly invented acronym, WCNSF, Wounded Child, No Surviving Family. Hear the cries of our anti-zionist Jewish siblings who are calling for an end to this violence, who are putting their lives and safety on the line to say “Not in our name.” Respond to them by enveloping them in your Mercy. Ya Rahman Ya Rahim, respond to them by enveloping them in your Mercy. 

Ya Khaliq, the One who Creates. You created us to be in diverse nations and tribes, so that we may know each other (not that we may despise (each other) (Quran 49:13). Ya ‘Alim, the One Who knows Everything. You created, in your wisdom, a region that brings our three Abrahamic traditions together. A region where our beloved Prophets Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed, may peace and blessings of God be upon them, once walked and modeled for us how to be the best of human beings. Bestow upon us the wisdom of our beloved Prophets, that walked these paths before us, and guide us to follow in their footsteps. Now, this sacred land that Muslims, Christians, and Jews, and other people of faith worship on, is currently in deep devastation. Bestow us with the compassion and empathy to weep for all the mothers – regardless of identity – who must bury their children too soon because of oppression and war. Ya Khaliq, You created us all to be equal before You. Bestow us with the unconditional love for all our sweet babies – regardless of faith – so that we may be their protectors, as You entrusted us with their safety and their care. 

Ya ‘Adl. You are the Most Just. Ya Hakam. The Best Judge. Bring justice to those who are oppressed. In Afghanistan, Kashmir, Atlanta, China, Palestine, Yemen, India, the Bronx. Deliver justice to our brave students on college campuses. The list is never ending – May all those seeking justice be granted strength and victory. Bring justice to all those who have lost their lives because of hate. To those who have lost their jobs, their degrees, their safety for speaking their truth. Only You can rectify the plight of the oppressed, Ya Wakeel, the One we rely on, we frequently hear our Palestinian siblings cry: Hasbunllahu wa nimal wakeel, because we know that You, God, are sufficient for us, and You are the best Guardian, protector, and disposer of affairs. Ya Adl. Bring justice to those who are oppressed. 

Ya Lateef. You are the Most Gentle. Ya Karim. You are the Most Generous. Bring your gentleness to our world. Ya Wadood, the Most Loving, we keep Your promise close to our hearts: Fa inni ma’al usri yusra. Inni ma’al yusri yusra. For indeed, with hardship there will be ease. With hardship, there will be ease. 

Ya Shafi, there is no Healer but You. Heal our hearts of supremacy. That allows us to believe that we are better than another simply due to identity. That compels us to harm and oppress another. Heal our hearts of indifference. Indifference to the cries of those suffering, and enable us to move collectively toward liberation for all.

Ya Basit, the One who amplifies abundance. Bless our communities when we gather, our love for You unites us, our passion to achieve reproductive justice guides us. Expand and widen our hearts and souls, and give us the wisdom to struggle together and draw upon our shared values to achieve liberation.

Ya Haadi, You are the Best Guide we could ask for. You are the only Guide we need. We pray you guide us to always be on the side of reproductive Justice and accept our work toward reproductive justice in service to You. We pray that you Guide us to build communities that are safe and free of violence and oppression, where all people can exercise self determination over their reproductive lives, in the communities they live, work, and pray. Ameen.

Artwork by Aya Mobaydeen (@aya_mobaydeen) of a Palestinian elder in traditional thobe surrounded by Palestinian landmarks and floral motifs

Here at HEART, we are overwhelmed with grief and rage  as we bear witness to the blatant genocide of Palestinians and the innocent lives lost in Israel and Gaza. Our hearts are broken as we mourn the murder of six year-old Wadea al-Fayoume and his mother’s injuries because of anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian sentiment. We’re reminded of the traumas of the last two decades, as the aftermath of 9/11 made stories like these all too common.   Many of us feel fear, anger, hopelessness, triggered, and stretched thin as we extend love and care to loved ones on the other side of the world, and to those directly impacted right here in our communities. If you are one of those directly impacted, please know that your friends at HEART are weeping with you, enraged like you, and making du’a on your behalf.   One of HEART’s core values is centering and uplifting the most marginalized voices among us. Today, those voices belong to Palestinians everywhere mourning impossible losses in their communities while also navigating societies rife with weaponized misinformation, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric, and the proliferation of violence. We also directly acknowledge that what is occurring in Gaza today is one instance of an unbearably long history of forced displacement, ethnic cleansing, and settler colonialism that spans multiple generations and continents.   Let us hold space for our grief and reject any weaponization of grief into vehicles of further hate and destruction. Let us implore Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala to ease this pain, to bring rain and extinguish the fires burning in Gaza, and to safely deliver the souls lost in Israel and Palestine to places of peace and serenity. If you are feeling the call to prayer but cannot find the words, you can access a translation of al-Du’a al-Nasiri, or the Du’a of the Oppressed, here.  In case it wasn’t clear, HEART remains committed to solidarity with the people of occupied Palestine as they continue to achieve complete liberation and self-determination.  If you’d like to take action, keep reading: –Support the family of Wadea al-Fayoume by contributing to this fundraiser: proceeds go directly towards ensuring Wadea receives a proper Janazah, that his mother’s medical expenses are covered, and to establish a Sadaqah Jariyah in sweet Wadea’s name. –Send this document to members of your community: You can share the events and resources on this link to find out about events in your area, learn more about the genocide in Gaza, and access legal, mental health, and safety support from providers across the country. – Sign this petition demanding immediate de-escalation and protection for Gazan civilians, as well as water, fuel, electricity, and more for medical facilities in Gaza –Pay close attention to the Palestinian and Jewish activists organizing on the front lines for the dismantling of the colonial government and full self-determination for Palestinians. Listen to the stories of those directly affected by 70+ years of violence and displacement, and reject the false narratives being driven by mass media, public figures, and those in power.  –Don’t turn away from the voices crying for our attention: the events of the last two weeks are brutal, horrifying, and overwhelming. Take the time you need to grieve and heal in whatever way works best for you. When you’re ready, you can learn from those directly impacted by the occupation firsthand by visiting the following links: Palestinian Oral History Archive Zena Agha’s Palestine: Ways of BeingQueering the Map: a community-based online mapping platform used by several queer Palestinians to document their experiences losing loved ones. –Support and uplift the efforts of directly impacted leaders like: Palestinian Youth Movement The Adalah Justice Project Arab Resource and Organizing Center Jews for Racial Economic Justice Jewish Voice for Peace Palestinian Feminist Collective For the Binaat Muslims for Just Futures US Campaign for Palestinian Rights  In the immortal words of Assata Shakur, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” Solidarity demands that our liberation is tied to each other. A world in which all Muslims are safe to exercise self-determination over their personal and reproductive lives in their communities is incomplete unless the people of occupied Palestine are safe, free, and empowered. Please join us in turning thoughts and prayers to action, and by supporting the groups led by and in solidarity with Palestine as we build towards liberation.  In Peace, Love, and Solidarity, Mehlam with HEART

Event details and registration:

Join us for a conversation about HEART’s recent publication, The Sex Talk: A Muslim’s Guide to Healthy Sex and Relationships.

When: Wednesday, September 14 at 7:30pm EDT.

Where: Charis Books, 184 S. Candler Street, Decatur, GA 30030 OR online via crowdcast.

This event takes place in person at Charis and on crowdcast, Charis’ virtual event platform. This event is free, but registration is requested if you choose to attend in person, and required for virtual attendance. Click here to register to attend virtually. Click here to register to attend in person. Please read the in-person event guidelines at the bottom of this page to be sure you can participate in the event.

Charis and HEART Present authors Nadiah Mohajir and Haddijatou Ceesay in a conversation moderated by Dr. Alia Azmat for a discussion of The Sex Talk: A Muslim’s Guide to Healthy Sex and Relationships. The Sex Talk is a starting point for Muslim communities on how to talk about sex, reproductive health, and sexual violence. This event is co-hosted by HEART, Raksha, Inc, and SisterLove, Inc.

For full event details, click here.

In-person event guidelines: 

• RSVP is strongly recommended.
• All attendees must wear a face mask at all times
• Tickets are limited to restrict capacity and preference will be given to ticket holders.
• We will begin seating people at 7 pm ET.
• Additional copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.
• Home address is collected for contact tracing purposes.
• This event will be live-streamed via crowdcast. Click here to register to attend virtually.
• As a reminder: If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the event.
• If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or to request specific accessibility accommodations, please contact info@charisbooksandmore.com or call the store at 404-524-0304

Accommodations:

If you would like to watch the virtual event with computer-generated captions, please watch in Google Chrome and enable captions. If you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible please don’t hesitate to reach out to info@chariscircle.org. We are actively learning the best practices for this technology and we welcome your feedback as we continue to connect across distances.