The Ruling on Breastfeeding from a Maternal Aunt and Her Children
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good. This questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah have mercy on you, I bear witness to Allah the Mighty and Majestic regarding my love for you. My question is: I have a maternal aunt who has male children. My mother says that she breastfed a son of hers who has since passed away, and my maternal aunt says that she breastfed a brother of mine who has also passed away. They have all passed away, praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh:
No, no, no.
The questioner:
I have a maternal aunt who has male children. My mother says that she breastfed a son of hers who has since passed away, and my maternal aunt says that she breastfed a brother of mine who has also passed away. They have all passed away, praise be to Allah. Are the adult children of my maternal aunt considered my brothers through breastfeeding? Knowing that I am younger than those who were breastfed, and my maternal aunt’s children are older than them. Please give us a ruling, may you be rewarded, and may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
Breastfeeding is specific to the infant who died. As for you, no. Breastfeeding from your maternal aunt is specific to the infant. Likewise, the one your mother breastfed is specific to the infant who died. Your maternal aunt’s sons and daughters are not your brothers through breastfeeding. It is only the infant who was breastfed. If he had lived, he would be your brother, provided the breastfeeding was five times or more within the two-year period. As for his brothers, no, they are not your brothers. Only the infant. Your maternal aunt’s children, male and female, are not your brothers. Breastfeeding is specific to the one who was breastfed. Your maternal uncle’s son who was breastfed by your mother is your brother. This is what the Sunnah indicates. Allah the Exalted and Majestic says:[An-Nisa 4:23] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “What is forbidden through breastfeeding is forbidden through lineage.” Your maternal aunt’s daughter by lineage is a mahram to you, and your maternal aunt’s daughter by lineage is a mahram to you. So it is the same with breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is specific to the person who was breastfed by your mother. If he were alive, he would be your brother, provided the breastfeeding was five times or more while he was within the two-year period.
May Allah reward you with good. This questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah have mercy on you, I bear witness to Allah the Mighty and Majestic regarding my love for you. My question is: I have a maternal aunt who has male children. My mother says that she breastfed a son of hers who has since passed away, and my maternal aunt says that she breastfed a brother of mine who has also passed away. They have all passed away, praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh:
No, no, no.
The questioner:
I have a maternal aunt who has male children. My mother says that she breastfed a son of hers who has since passed away, and my maternal aunt says that she breastfed a brother of mine who has also passed away. They have all passed away, praise be to Allah. Are the adult children of my maternal aunt considered my brothers through breastfeeding? Knowing that I am younger than those who were breastfed, and my maternal aunt’s children are older than them. Please give us a ruling, may you be rewarded, and may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
Breastfeeding is specific to the infant who died. As for you, no. Breastfeeding from your maternal aunt is specific to the infant. Likewise, the one your mother breastfed is specific to the infant who died. Your maternal aunt’s sons and daughters are not your brothers through breastfeeding. It is only the infant who was breastfed. If he had lived, he would be your brother, provided the breastfeeding was five times or more within the two-year period. As for his brothers, no, they are not your brothers. Only the infant. Your maternal aunt’s children, male and female, are not your brothers. Breastfeeding is specific to the one who was breastfed. Your maternal uncle’s son who was breastfed by your mother is your brother. This is what the Sunnah indicates. Allah the Exalted and Majestic says:
your [milk] mothers who nursed you, your sisters through nursing
وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللَّاتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُم مِّنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ
Source
فتاوى المسجد الحرام (شعبان ١٤١٧ هـ) - ٧ — archive.org (28:05)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.