I was breastfed in my childhood by a woman other than my mother, and she also has a son of the same age as me who was breastfed by my mother. Is this person who was breastfed with me my brother through breastfeeding?
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The questioner : This is your brother in Allah, Abu al-Hasan Ahmad. He says, “May the Shaykh be honored, my question is that I inform you that I was breastfed in my childhood by a woman other than my mother, and she also has a son of the same age as me who was breastfed by my mother. My question, O honorable Shaykh, is: Is this person who was breastfed with me my brother through breastfeeding or not? Also, he has many brothers who were not breastfed with me; are they considered my brothers as well?”
The Shaykh : First, it must be known that breastfeeding has conditions, one of which is that it must be five times or more. If it is once, it is not considered; or twice, it is not considered; or three times, it is not considered; or four times, it is not considered. It must be five times, based on the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: “What was revealed in the Qur'an was that ten known breastfeedings make a person forbidden [to marry], and this was abrogated by five known breastfeedings”.
Second, the breastfeeding must occur during the period of breastfeeding. There is no consideration for the breastfeeding of an adult who has already been weaned, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Bulugh al-Maram 8:199.
If the conditions of breastfeeding are met, then because you were breastfed by his mother, you became his brother and the brother of all his brothers from this woman, whether they were born before or after you. You also became the brother of his wife’s children from other men, and you also became the brother of her children from other men. If we assume that a woman breastfed a child while she was married to a man named Abdullah, and she had children from other men, then her children from other men would be brothers to this breastfed child through the father. If she had children from another husband, whether a previous or a later one, then her children from the other husband would be brothers to this one who was breastfed by her through the mother. As for her children from the husband from whom the child was breastfed while she was married to him, they are his brothers through both the mother and the father.
Accordingly, all the children of the woman who breastfed him, whether boys or girls, are his brothers, and all the children of his husband are his brothers. In the question, it is stated that this child was breastfed by the mother of the one who was breastfed, so we say about him what we said about the previous case: we say that all the children of the woman who breastfed him are his brothers through breastfeeding. If her husband has children from other women, they are his brothers through the father. If she bore children from another man, or if children were born to her from another man after his death, for example, they are his brothers through the mother. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. This questioner, Atiyyah, says, “May the Shaykh be honored, in the month of Ramadan, it is done…”
The Shaykh : And yes.
The questioner : Please go ahead.
The Shaykh : On this occasion.
The questioner : Yes, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Regarding the issue of breastfeeding, I would like to offer a piece of advice.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : To everyone who was breastfed by a woman, I advise that they record the fact that they were breastfed by such-and-such a woman, and specify that the breastfeeding was complete and makes marriage forbidden, so that confusion does not occur later. Several cases have come to our attention in which it was revealed that there was a breastfeeding relationship that makes marriage forbidden between a husband and the woman he married, after they had already had children. This is undoubtedly painful. If it is revealed that there is a breastfeeding relationship that makes marriage forbidden between a man and the woman he marries, then the marriage is revealed to be invalid, and they are separated. If she has borne children from him, the children are his legitimate children because they were born from a doubtful intercourse, and doubtful intercourse establishes lineage.
Therefore, the important point is that I advise everyone who was breastfed by a woman to record that they were breastfed by the woman, naming her and identifying her lineage, so that an error does not occur in the future. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good for this blessed guidance.
The Shaykh : First, it must be known that breastfeeding has conditions, one of which is that it must be five times or more. If it is once, it is not considered; or twice, it is not considered; or three times, it is not considered; or four times, it is not considered. It must be five times, based on the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: “What was revealed in the Qur'an was that ten known breastfeedings make a person forbidden [to marry], and this was abrogated by five known breastfeedings”.
Second, the breastfeeding must occur during the period of breastfeeding. There is no consideration for the breastfeeding of an adult who has already been weaned, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
The only suckling (to be considered) is that which gives life to the bones
لا رضاع إلا ما أنشز العظم وكان قبل الفطامIf the conditions of breastfeeding are met, then because you were breastfed by his mother, you became his brother and the brother of all his brothers from this woman, whether they were born before or after you. You also became the brother of his wife’s children from other men, and you also became the brother of her children from other men. If we assume that a woman breastfed a child while she was married to a man named Abdullah, and she had children from other men, then her children from other men would be brothers to this breastfed child through the father. If she had children from another husband, whether a previous or a later one, then her children from the other husband would be brothers to this one who was breastfed by her through the mother. As for her children from the husband from whom the child was breastfed while she was married to him, they are his brothers through both the mother and the father.
Accordingly, all the children of the woman who breastfed him, whether boys or girls, are his brothers, and all the children of his husband are his brothers. In the question, it is stated that this child was breastfed by the mother of the one who was breastfed, so we say about him what we said about the previous case: we say that all the children of the woman who breastfed him are his brothers through breastfeeding. If her husband has children from other women, they are his brothers through the father. If she bore children from another man, or if children were born to her from another man after his death, for example, they are his brothers through the mother. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. This questioner, Atiyyah, says, “May the Shaykh be honored, in the month of Ramadan, it is done…”
The Shaykh : And yes.
The questioner : Please go ahead.
The Shaykh : On this occasion.
The questioner : Yes, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Regarding the issue of breastfeeding, I would like to offer a piece of advice.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : To everyone who was breastfed by a woman, I advise that they record the fact that they were breastfed by such-and-such a woman, and specify that the breastfeeding was complete and makes marriage forbidden, so that confusion does not occur later. Several cases have come to our attention in which it was revealed that there was a breastfeeding relationship that makes marriage forbidden between a husband and the woman he married, after they had already had children. This is undoubtedly painful. If it is revealed that there is a breastfeeding relationship that makes marriage forbidden between a man and the woman he marries, then the marriage is revealed to be invalid, and they are separated. If she has borne children from him, the children are his legitimate children because they were born from a doubtful intercourse, and doubtful intercourse establishes lineage.
Therefore, the important point is that I advise everyone who was breastfed by a woman to record that they were breastfed by the woman, naming her and identifying her lineage, so that an error does not occur in the future. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good for this blessed guidance.