Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
In question
50005 we have
already stated that if a breastfeeding mother or pregnant woman fears for
herself or her child, then it is better for her not to fast and fasting is
makrooh in her case. Indeed some of the scholars said that if she fears for
her child it is haraam for her to fast and she should not fast, because she
has no right to do something that would harm her child.
Secondly:
If the child is able to do without his mother’s milk then she
should fast because there is no need for her not to fast in this case.
Al-Mirdaawi said in al-Insaaf (7/383):
If the child is able to
do without his mother’s milk, it is not permissible for her not to fast.
Thirdly:
If what you mean in your question by “stop breastfeeding my
child” is weaning him, that depends on the child’s situation. If he will be
harmed by that, it is not permissible to do it; if he will not be harmed by
it, then there is nothing wrong with weaning him, after you consult with his
father and agree on that, because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“The mothers shall give suck to their children for two
whole years, (that is) for those (parents) who desire to complete the term
of suckling, but the father of the child shall bear the cost of the mother’s
food and clothing on a reasonable basis. No person shall have a burden laid
on him greater than he can bear. No mother shall be treated unfairly on
account of her child, nor father on account of his child. And on the
(father’s) heir is incumbent the like of that (which was incumbent on the
father). If they both decide on weaning, by mutual consent, and after due
consultation, there is no sin on them”
[al-Baqarah 2:233]
al-Qurtubi said:
The phrase “If they both decide on weaning” means
weaning the child from the breast, i.e., weaning him from his mother’s milk
to other kinds of food. “by mutual consent” means, before two years
have passed. “there is no sin on them” means, in weaning him, because
Allaah has stipulated that the period of breastfeeding should be two years,
except when the parents agree on a shorter period, so long as that is not
harmful to the child. That is permissible according to this statement.
Ibn Jareer narrated in al-Tafseer (3913) that Sufyaan
al-Thawri said: If the father wants to wean him before two years, and his
wife does not agree, then he does not have the right to enforce that. If the
woman says, I want to wean him before two years, but the father says no,
then she does not have the right to wean him unless the father approves and
they reach an agreement. If they reach an agreement before two years, they
may wean him, but if they disagree then they should not wean him before two
years, as Allaah says: “If they both decide on weaning, by mutual
consent, and after due consultation”.
But if what is meant is switching the child from breast milk
to formula, this affects the interests of the child by denying him natural
breast milk, and the importance of natural breastfeeding to the child has
been proven beyond any shadow of a doubt. In this case the mother should not
give up natural breastfeeding in order to fast, because formula milk cannot
completely replace breast milk. The importance of breastfeeding is
sufficient excuse for her not to fast. See also question no.
20759.
And Allaah knows best.