Uncovering the Reasons Behind Sending Infants to Wet Nurses in Pre-Islamic Makkah
Question: Why were the infants of Makkah sent to far-off areas? Was it only for their health and well-being, or was there another reason, given that no one can provide better care than a mother, yet this practice was common in Makkah?
Answer: In the pre-Islamic era, breastfeeding was a profession for women, particularly those who were poor. These women would breastfeed the children of wealthy families to earn a living. Therefore, infants were not deliberately sent to far-off areas; rather, women from those areas would come to Makkah seeking employment. This was a common practice of that time and had no relation to Islam. Islam values a mother nursing her own child as the best and most virtuous, and it has set the breastfeeding period at two years.
✍ Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi (Hafizahullaah)
Jeddah Dawah Center – As-Salamah – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia