"And the mothers," meaning the divorced women, according to the interpretation of Mujahid. "Shall nurse their children two complete years for those who wish to complete the nursing period." Regarding the interpretation of Qatadah: He said, Allah revealed at the beginning of this verse "two complete years," then He revealed leniency and ease, saying, "for those who wish to complete the nursing period." "And upon the father of the child," meaning the father, "is their provision and their clothing according to what is reasonable," according to his financial capacity. "No mother shall be harmed through her child, nor shall a father be harmed through his child." Regarding the interpretation of Qatadah: He said, Allah prohibited the father from taking the child away from his mother if she is willing to nurse him for the same compensation for which someone else would be hired, and giving him to someone else. And the mother is prohibited from casting the child upon her husband if he gives her what someone else would be hired for [and she gives him to someone else]. "And upon the heir is the like of that." Regarding the interpretation of Qatadah: He said, it is incumbent upon the heir of the child, if the child has no wealth, to provide "the like of that," meaning the like of what would have been incumbent upon his father, were he alive, regarding the wages for nursing. Al-Hasan said: It is upon the men, not the women. The interpretation of Ibn Abbas regarding "And upon the heir is the like of that" is: It concerns harming. "And if they desire weaning," meaning breastfeeding cessation, "by mutual consent from both of them and consultation," before the two years have elapsed, after the child is capable of being weaned and no harm will come to him therefrom, "there is no blame upon them."
﴿والوالدات﴾ يَعْنِي: المطلقات؛ فِي تَفْسِير مُجَاهِد ﴿يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلادَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلَيْنِ لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يتم الرضَاعَة﴾ تَفْسِير قَتَادَة: قَالَ: أنزل اللَّه فِي أول هَذِه الْآيَة ﴿حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلين﴾ ثمَّ أنزل الْيُسْر وَالتَّخْفِيف؛ فَقَالَ: ﴿لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُتِمَّ الرَّضَاعَةَ﴾ ﴿وعَلى الْمَوْلُود لَهُ﴾ يَعْنِي: الْأَب ﴿رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ﴾ على قدر ميسرته ﴿لَا تُضَارَّ وَالِدَةٌ بِوَلَدِهَا وَلا مَوْلُودٌ لَهُ بولده﴾ تَفْسِير قَتَادَة: قَالَ: نهى اللَّه الْوَالِد أَن يَنْزعهُ من أمه؛ إِذا رضيت أَن ترْضِعه بِمَا كَانَ مسترضعا بِهِ غَيرهَا، ويدفعه إِلَى غَيرهَا، ونهيت الوالدة أَن تقذف الْوَلَد إِلَى زَوجهَا؛ إِذا أَعْطَاهَا مَا كَانَ مسترضعا غَيرهَا [وتدفعه إِلَى غَيرهَا]. ﴿وَعَلَى الْوَارِثِ مثل ذَلِك﴾ تَفْسِير قَتَادَة: قَالَ: عَلَى وَارِث الْمَوْلُود إِن كَانَ الْمَوْلُود لَا مَال لَهُ ﴿مثل ذَلِك﴾ أَي: مثل الَّذِي كَانَ عَلَى وَالِده لَو كَانَ حَيا من أجر الرَّضَاع. وقَالَ الحَسَن: وعَلى الرِّجَال دون النِّسَاء، وَتَفْسِير ابْن عَبَّاس: ﴿وَعَلَى الْوَارِثِ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ﴾ قَالَ: هُوَ فِي الضرار ﴿فَإِنْ أَرَادَا فصالا﴾ يَعْنِي: فطاما ﴿عَنْ تَرَاضٍ مِنْهُمَا وتشاور﴾ قبل انْقِضَاء الْحَوْلَيْنِ بعد أَن يَسْتَطِيع الْفِطَام، وَلا يدْخل عَلَيْهِ فِيه ضَرُورَة ﴿فَلا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا﴾.
