Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: “Nursing is to twenty one months, and anything less than that is injustice to the infant.”[^7] مُدَّةُ الإِرضاعِ (وَ الْوالِداتُ يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلادَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كامِلَيْنِ لِمَنْ أَرادَ أَنْ يُتِمَّ الرَّضاعَةَ). (وَ وَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسانَ بِوالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْناً عَلى وَهْنٍ وَ فِصالُهُ فِي عامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَ لِوالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ ...).
الإمام الصادق عليه السلام: الرَّضاعُ واحِدٌ و عِشرونَ شَهراً، فَما نَقَصَ فَهُوَ جَورٌ عَلَى الصَّبِيِ. 2.2: Choosing a Righteous Wet-nurse to Breastfeed 189. Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said: “Choose [a wet-nurse] for breastfeeding [the infant] the same way that you choose someone for marriage, for milk changes one’s nature.”[^8] 190. Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said: “Be aware of the one who breastfeeds your children, for a child will grow up based on that [milk].”[^9] 191.
Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) said: “Look for the milk of attractive wet-nurses for your child, and avoid the milk of the unattractive ones, for milk transmits [the characteristics of the wet-nurse to the child].”[^10] 192.
Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) said: “Choose clean and affectionate wet-nurses, for milk transmits [the characteristics of the wet-nurse to the child].”[^11] استِرضاعُ المُرْضِعَةِ الصّالِحَةِ الإمام عليّ عليه السلام: تَخَيَّروا لِلرَّضاعِ كَما تَتَخَيَّرونَ لِلنِّكاحِ؛ فَإِنَّ الرَّضاعَ يُغَيِّرُ الطِّباعَ. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام: انظُروا مَن تُرضِعُ أَولادَكُم؛ فَإِنَّ الوَلَدَ يَشِبُّ عَلَيهِ.
الإمام الباقر عليه السلام: استَرضِع لِوَلَدِكَ بِلَبَنِ الحِسانِ، وإيَّاكَ وَ القِباحَ؛ فَإِنَّ اللَّبَنَ قَد يُعدي. عنه عليه السلام: عَلَيكُم بِالوِضاءِ مِن الظُّؤورَةِ ؛ فإنَّ اللَّبَنَ يُعدِي. 2.3: Those Who Should not Be Asked for Suckling 193. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Avoid letting your children suckle from debauch or insane women, for milk transmits [the characteristics of the wet-nurse to the child].”[^12] 194.
The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Do not ask a foolish, blear-eyed or sick woman to breastfeed [your child], for milk transmits [the characteristics of the wet-nurse to the child].”[^13] 195. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Do not ask a foolish woman to breastfeed [your child], for milk transmits [the characteristics of the wet-nurse to the child] and the child will become resemblant to the milk, meaning in foolishness and idiocy.”[^14] 196.