A man who breastfed from his wife more than five full feedings: is his wife forbidden to him?

The questioner : One of the brothers in Egypt breastfed from his wife's chest more than five full feedings. The man appears to be careful about his religion, so he inquired. He asked some of the sheikhs there, and they told him, "Your wife is forbidden to you." It seems he did not find peace with this ruling, or perhaps he found peace with it, but in any case, he stopped having relations with his wife. He did not divorce her, but she is no longer his wife in his mind. Consequently, he placed her in a room by herself; he does not approach her, nor does he divorce her, nor does anything else happen. Yes, we need the ruling in this case.

The Shaykh : I say there is no harm in it.

The questioner : The milk?

The Shaykh : Yes. Last night we were staying up at Abu Abdullah Aziz's place, and some of our brothers were there, including Abu Ayyub. He asked, "What is the ruling on a husband breastfeeding from his wife?" I told him, "The same answer: there is no harm in it, but do not go down to the lower part." Yes, this does not make her forbidden to him, because as you know, breastfeeding [that creates kinship] is only within two years. That case is a specific issue regarding the status of a freed slave. Therefore, I do not know what basis those who issued this unjust fatwa to him are relying on. Because if we take the hadith of Mawla Abu Hudhayfah as a general rule, it means we have demolished the hadiths that are the primary evidence. Yes, so it is a grave error to forbid this wife to her husband simply because he drank from her milk and her breast. She is his wife, so he must be informed promptly so that he may enjoy what is lawful for him.

The questioner : Health and well-being. May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : And beware of that.