Rulings on Breastfeeding, Breastfeeding of an Adult, and the Number of Sucklings

Question:
Some questions regarding breastfeeding. One person says that his wife breastfed his sister, but he was not sure how many times she did so, or whether she encouraged it or not? Another questioner also says that he was breastfed by a woman twice, once in the morning and once in the evening, but he does not know the number of times. Now he greets this woman. There is also someone asking about breastfeeding an adult, and the issue that was raised recently; we hope the Honorable Shaykh will give advice on that.

Answer:
I do not accept the breastfeeding of an adult, nor does it exist among the Muslims. It was merely an individual case that occurred during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and it has no general application. The Muslims did not adopt it in all circumstances; they left it aside. Why? Because breastfeeding has specific regulations, and breastfeeding an adult is outside these regulations; it is a vast matter that falls outside the rules. Therefore, no practice is based on it. Whoever issues a fatwa on this matter has erred.
Breastfeeding has conditions. First, it must be within the two-year period, . If the breastfeeding occurs within the two years, the ruling applies; if it is outside the two years, it has no ruling. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, when the child was not nourished except by milk. This is the time of breastfeeding. However, if the child begins to be nourished by food and eats food, he has no need for breastfeeding, and he is not suffering from hunger. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, regarding the splitting of the intestines, and this was before weaning. This is the first condition: that the breastfeeding be within the two years, before weaning. If it goes beyond the two years, it has no ruling. So what about breastfeeding an adult who is sixty or seventy years old? Who says this?
The second condition is that the sucklings must be five times, , as in the hadith of Aisha, that they are forbidden. But what is a suckling? What is the definition of a suckling? A suckling is a mouthful. What is satiety? A mouthful. If one sucks the breast and milk flows to him, then he leaves it, that is one suckling. If he returns to it, that is a second suckling, until he completes five times, whether in one sitting or in multiple sittings. If the five are completed, whether in one sitting or in several sittings, the breastfeeding is established. Five mouthfuls do not make a woman a milk-mother; that is, one mouthful does not, nor do two mouthfuls. One or two mouthfuls do not make a woman a milk-mother. It is necessary to have five mouthfuls, each of which involves swallowing milk from the woman. This is the suckling, and this is its regulation.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you,