Contradiction in the Qur’An in Estimating the Duration of Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Some skeptics imagine that there is a confusion between the words of Allah the Almighty: “His mother bore him, with weakness upon weakness, and his weaning was in two years” (Luqman: 14) and His words: “Mothers shall nurse their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing” (Al-Baqarah: 222), and His words: “His gestation and weaning is thirty months” (Al-Ahqaf: 15). They ask: How can the duration of pregnancy and breastfeeding be two complete years in the first two places, and thirty months in the third place?! Doesn’t this contradict the data of modern science?

The way to refute the doubt:

The Qur’an explains some of itself, and agrees with the results of modern science. The duration of breastfeeding alone is two years, but its duration with pregnancy is thirty months; the minimum period of pregnancy is six months.

Detail:

Agreement between the meaning of the Qur’anic verses regarding determining the duration of pregnancy and breastfeeding and the results of science:

Anyone who has even the slightest knowledge of the Holy Qur’an knows with absolute certainty that there is no contradiction between its noble verses. By combining the verses of Surat Luqman and Surat Al-Baqarah, and the verse of Surat Al-Ahqaf, it is understood that the minimum period of pregnancy is six months. The statement of Allah, the Most High: “And his bearing and weaning is thirty months” (Al-Ahqaf: 15) does not indicate from it - on its own - the minimum period of pregnancy, but by adding some other verses to this verse, the minimum period of pregnancy is known; because this noble verse clearly states that the period of pregnancy and weaning[1] together is thirty months, and the statement of Allah, the Most High: “And his weaning is in two years” (Luqman: 14), and the statement of Allah, the Most High: “And mothers shall breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing” (Al-Baqarah: 233), shows that the period of weaning is two years, which is twenty-four months. If you subtract it from the thirty, six months remain, so it is determined that it is the period of pregnancy, and it is the minimum, and there is no disagreement on that among the people of knowledge[2].

Conclusion:

There is no contradiction between the words of God Almighty: “And his weaning is in two years” (Luqman: 14), and His words Almighty: “And mothers shall breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing” (Al-Baqarah: 233); and His words Almighty: “And his gestation and weaning is thirty months” (Al-Ahqaf: 15); because two years is twenty-four months, so when you subtract from thirty, six months remain, so it becomes the shortest period of pregnancy, and this is in agreement with what the doctors have established.

[1] Al-Fasal: weaning.

[2] Adwaa Al-Bayan, Al-Shanqeeti, Ibn Taymiyyah Library, Cairo, 1992 AD, Vol. 7, p. 386.