The question asks: What are the conditions for breastfeeding that creates a prohibition, with evidence, and what is the authenticity of the hadith stating that a slave woman testified that a woman had breastfed a Muslim man who had married her, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) told him to leave her, or as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said? Why did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) order him to separate from her without asking about the number of breastfeedings? Does this mean that both a small amount and a large amount of breastfeeding are forbidden, or what? I ask for a detailed clarification of this topic.
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The questioner : The question asks: What are the conditions for breastfeeding that creates a prohibition, with evidence, and what is the authenticity of the hadith stating that a slave woman testified that a woman had breastfed a Muslim man who had married her, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) told him to leave her, or as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said? Why did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) order him to separate from her without asking about the number of breastfeedings? Does this mean that both a small amount and a large amount of breastfeeding are forbidden, or what? I ask for a detailed clarification of this topic?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. The conditions for breastfeeding that creates a prohibition are: First, it must be from a human woman. If two people were breastfed by an animal, they would not be siblings, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:23] And motherhood is not established unless the woman who breastfed is from the daughters of Adam.
The second condition is that it must be five breastfeedings or more, as Muslim narrated from the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:Mishkat al-Masabih 3167 So if a woman breastfed a child once, twice, three times, or four times, she would not be his mother through breastfeeding. But if she breastfed him five times, she became his mother through breastfeeding.
The third condition is that this milk must have an effect in nourishing and developing the child. It is established in the two Sahihs from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 2647 The meaning of this is that effective breastfeeding is that which satisfies the hunger of the person being breastfed, and this does not occur except if it is before weaning. Some scholars said: The considered condition is that the breastfeeding occurs within the two years. After the two years, it is not considered, even if the child has not been weaned. And what occurs before the two years is considered, even if the child has been weaned.
These are three conditions. There is a fourth condition about which scholars differ, which is that this milk must have flowed, meaning it must have come out and accumulated from intercourse or pregnancy. However, this condition is not correct, because the apparent meaning of the texts is general. If this condition is not established, it is not considered, because the original state is its absence. As for what the brother mentioned regarding the woman who said to the man with his wife: "I have breastfed you both," and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to separate from her and said to him: This hadith is authentic.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is understood that her statement "I have breastfed you both" refers to the breastfeeding that creates a prohibition, as understood by people. In this case, there is no need to ask for details. And even if it is general, this general statement is restricted by the specific ones. Therefore, one does not leave the authentic, explicit hadiths that condition the number for a specific case that involves possibility. Accordingly, if a woman says to a husband: "I have breastfed you and your wife," it is necessary to ask for details: How many times did she breastfeed him? And was it before weaning or after weaning? Yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. The conditions for breastfeeding that creates a prohibition are: First, it must be from a human woman. If two people were breastfed by an animal, they would not be siblings, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
your [milk] mothers who nursed you
وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللَّاتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْThe second condition is that it must be five breastfeedings or more, as Muslim narrated from the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:
in what was sent down in the Qur’an ten known sucklings made marriage unlawful, but they were abrogated by five known ones, and when God’s Messenger died these words were among what was recited in the Qur’an
كان فيما أنزل من القرأن عشر رضعاتٍ معلوماتٍ يحرّمن، فنسخن بخمسٍ معلومات، فتوفي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهي فيما يُتلى من القرأنThe third condition is that this milk must have an effect in nourishing and developing the child. It is established in the two Sahihs from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
as fostership is only valid if it takes place in the suckling period (before two years of age).
إنما الرضاعة من المجاعةThese are three conditions. There is a fourth condition about which scholars differ, which is that this milk must have flowed, meaning it must have come out and accumulated from intercourse or pregnancy. However, this condition is not correct, because the apparent meaning of the texts is general. If this condition is not established, it is not considered, because the original state is its absence. As for what the brother mentioned regarding the woman who said to the man with his wife: "I have breastfed you both," and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to separate from her and said to him:
How, when it was said
كيف وقد قيلThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is understood that her statement "I have breastfed you both" refers to the breastfeeding that creates a prohibition, as understood by people. In this case, there is no need to ask for details. And even if it is general, this general statement is restricted by the specific ones. Therefore, one does not leave the authentic, explicit hadiths that condition the number for a specific case that involves possibility. Accordingly, if a woman says to a husband: "I have breastfed you and your wife," it is necessary to ask for details: How many times did she breastfeed him? And was it before weaning or after weaning? Yes.
The questioner : Yes.