Can I Still Nurse My Child after Sipping Alcohol by Mistake?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I have accidentally consumed alcohol as I mistook my friend’s drink for my own. I am wondering if I can still breastfeed my newborn child. Am I forbidden to do so as it is said the alcohol stays in the system for 40 days?
Answer
Thank you for your question. It is permissible for you to nurse your child, pray, and carry on with your normal life.
Steps
Be sure to wash out your mouth. As for repentance, it is not necessary to repent from an honest mistake, but it usually makes people feel better to repent generally anyways and to heed this prophetic advice:
“Have taqwa (fear) of Allah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people.” [Tirmidhi]
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) also told us, “Give the charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity.” [Mishkat al-Masabih]
Company
The more important point here is that if you are a Muslim woman who fears God and wants to raise her child according to Islam, you should ensure that you don’t sit in the company of people who drink. It’s terrible for your spiritual state and the state of your child. You should limit being in an environment where angels do not enter, God’s name is not mentioned, and people don’t believe in obeying Him. These surroundings darken the heart and cause forgetfulness and neglect.
Please see more details here about keeping good company and consider enrolling in our free course on raising righteous children:
Keys to Raising Righteous Children: Eight Lessons on Successful Parenting
Articles
Smoking Marijuana and the Importance of Keeping Good Company
Where Can I Find Good Company?
Traditional Methods of Raising Children
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
