A woman has daughters through breastfeeding; are the husbands of these daughters considered mahram (forbidden to marry) for this woman?

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The questioner : A questioner says: A woman has daughters through breastfeeding; are the husbands of these daughters considered mahram (forbidden to marry) for this woman?

The Shaykh : No, the correct view is that breastfeeding does not affect affinity (mushaharah). So if a woman has daughters through breastfeeding and they marry men, she does not uncover herself before their husbands. However, if she is their mother by blood, meaning she gave birth to them, then the husbands of her daughters are mahram to her. The evidence for this is 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 النسب

Sunan Ibn Majah 1937Sahih (Darussalam)

Is the wife’s mother forbidden to the husband by blood or by affinity? By affinity; there is no blood relation between them. The seven categories of women forbidden by blood are mentioned in the saying of Allah the Exalted:

Prohibited to you [for marriage] are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ وَعَمَّاتُكُمْ وَخَالَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُ الْأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ الْأُخْتِ

[An-Nisa 4:23]

The seven corresponding categories through breastfeeding are also forbidden. As for

your wives' mothers, and your step-daughters under your guardianship [born] of your wives unto whom you have gone in. But if you have not gone in unto them, there is no sin upon you. And [also prohibited are] the wives of your sons who are from your [own] loins

وَأُمَّهَاتُ نِسَائِكُمْ وَرَبَائِبُكُمُ اللَّاتِي فِي حُجُورِكُمْ مِنْ نِسَائِكُمُ اللَّاتِي دَخَلْتُمْ بِهِنَّ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُونُوا دَخَلْتُمْ بِهِنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَحَلَائِلُ أَبْنَائِكُمُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلَابِكُمْ

[An-Nisa 4:23]

, these three, in addition to the saying of Allah the Exalted:

And do not marry those [women] whom your fathers married

وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا مَا نَكَحَ آبَاؤُكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ

[An-Nisa 4:22]

, which is the fourth, are these forbidden by what? By affinity (suhrah). And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Breast-feeding makes unlawful (for marriages) the same things that blood tie make unlawful.

يحرم من الرضاع ما يحرم من النسب

Sunan Ibn Majah 1937Sahih (Darussalam)

Based on this, the husbands of a woman’s daughters through breastfeeding are not among her mahram, meaning they are not among the mahram of her mother through breastfeeding. This is the choice of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), even though the majority of scholars hold a different opinion, but the truth is what should be followed. Yes.

Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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