If a child is breastfed by his maternal or paternal grandmother, is it permissible for his brothers and sisters to marry the daughters of the children of the grandmother from whom he was breastfed?
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The questioner : If a child is breastfed by his maternal or paternal grandmother, is it permissible for his brothers and sisters, whether they are of a lower or higher generation, to marry the daughters of the children of the grandmother from whom he was breastfed?
The Shaykh : If a person is breastfed by his grandmother’s milk, he becomes a brother to her, if she is his maternal grandmother, or a brother to his father and his paternal uncles, if she is his paternal grandmother. Accordingly, if he was breastfed by his paternal grandmother, the daughters of his paternal uncles become his paternal aunts, so it is not permissible for him to marry them, nor their descendants, because he is their paternal uncle. However, his sons are permitted to marry their paternal aunts.
The questioner : And his brothers? The questioner is also asking about the brothers of the breastfed child?
The Shaykh : The brothers of the breastfed child are permitted to marry their paternal aunts, even if they are his paternal uncles, who are brothers to his brother through breastfeeding. This is because the rule in the chapter of breastfeeding is that the prohibition of marriage does not extend to the relatives of the breastfed child, except to his descendants, i.e., his offspring. Otherwise, the prohibition does not extend to any of the relatives of the breastfed child. For this reason, it is permissible for the brother of the breastfed child by blood to marry the mother of the breastfed child through breastfeeding, even though she is the mother of his brother, and to marry the sister of the breastfed child through breastfeeding, even though she is the sister of his brother, based on this rule we mentioned, which is that the ruling of breastfeeding does not extend except to the breastfed child himself and to his descendants, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Ibn Majah 1937Sahih (Darussalam).
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : If a person is breastfed by his grandmother’s milk, he becomes a brother to her, if she is his maternal grandmother, or a brother to his father and his paternal uncles, if she is his paternal grandmother. Accordingly, if he was breastfed by his paternal grandmother, the daughters of his paternal uncles become his paternal aunts, so it is not permissible for him to marry them, nor their descendants, because he is their paternal uncle. However, his sons are permitted to marry their paternal aunts.
The questioner : And his brothers? The questioner is also asking about the brothers of the breastfed child?
The Shaykh : The brothers of the breastfed child are permitted to marry their paternal aunts, even if they are his paternal uncles, who are brothers to his brother through breastfeeding. This is because the rule in the chapter of breastfeeding is that the prohibition of marriage does not extend to the relatives of the breastfed child, except to his descendants, i.e., his offspring. Otherwise, the prohibition does not extend to any of the relatives of the breastfed child. For this reason, it is permissible for the brother of the breastfed child by blood to marry the mother of the breastfed child through breastfeeding, even though she is the mother of his brother, and to marry the sister of the breastfed child through breastfeeding, even though she is the sister of his brother, based on this rule we mentioned, which is that the ruling of breastfeeding does not extend except to the breastfed child himself and to his descendants, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Breast-feeding makes unlawful (for marriages) the same things that blood tie make unlawful.
يحرم من الرضاع ما يحرم من النسبThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.