The ruling on the other children of a man from multiple wives if he was breastfed by only one of them
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Question: To the honorable Shaykh, Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz.
Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, and after that:
My mother passed away when I was forty days old. My grandfather had three wives, and he gave one of them a camel in exchange for her breastfeeding me and raising me with her children. She did so, and she became my mother until she died. Her children are my brothers, and at the same time, they are my uncles, because they are my grandfather’s sons.
It happened that one of my uncles, who was not from the woman who breastfed me, had a daughter. He married her to me, and I had a child from her. Suddenly, I heard from men of knowledge that my wife is forbidden to me and that she is my sister. I know that her father was not a son of the woman who breastfed me; rather, he was the son of a second woman among my grandfather’s wives. When I was informed of the scholars’ ruling, I stopped having relations with my wife and turned to Allah, then to you.
I ask you to issue a ruling for me so that I may be clear about my situation. If she is forbidden to me, does she have any rights? Is there a divorce or no divorce? Do I have to pay an expiation? I ask you to enlighten me, knowing that the matter of breastfeeding is established, as I was an orphan, and my grandfather’s wife took me in for a fee. Her fee for that was a camel; that is, the son of a she-camel. And may peace and mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.
Answer: And upon you be peace, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, after that:
If the situation is as you described, then all your uncles from the woman mentioned and from the others have become your brothers through breastfeeding. Consequently, your wife has become your sister, and your marriage to her is invalid.
You do not have to pay an expiation or anything else if you have abstained from her since you learned of the breastfeeding. As for your child, he is a legitimate son attributed to you, because you approached her as your wife before you knew of the breastfeeding.
You must write a certificate for her at the court, which she can rely on if her guardian wants to marry her off. She must observe the waiting period of three menstrual cycles from the time you separated from her.
May Allah grant everyone understanding of His religion and steadfastness upon it; He is indeed Generous and Bountiful.
And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz
Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, and after that:
My mother passed away when I was forty days old. My grandfather had three wives, and he gave one of them a camel in exchange for her breastfeeding me and raising me with her children. She did so, and she became my mother until she died. Her children are my brothers, and at the same time, they are my uncles, because they are my grandfather’s sons.
It happened that one of my uncles, who was not from the woman who breastfed me, had a daughter. He married her to me, and I had a child from her. Suddenly, I heard from men of knowledge that my wife is forbidden to me and that she is my sister. I know that her father was not a son of the woman who breastfed me; rather, he was the son of a second woman among my grandfather’s wives. When I was informed of the scholars’ ruling, I stopped having relations with my wife and turned to Allah, then to you.
I ask you to issue a ruling for me so that I may be clear about my situation. If she is forbidden to me, does she have any rights? Is there a divorce or no divorce? Do I have to pay an expiation? I ask you to enlighten me, knowing that the matter of breastfeeding is established, as I was an orphan, and my grandfather’s wife took me in for a fee. Her fee for that was a camel; that is, the son of a she-camel. And may peace and mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.
Answer: And upon you be peace, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, after that:
If the situation is as you described, then all your uncles from the woman mentioned and from the others have become your brothers through breastfeeding. Consequently, your wife has become your sister, and your marriage to her is invalid.
You do not have to pay an expiation or anything else if you have abstained from her since you learned of the breastfeeding. As for your child, he is a legitimate son attributed to you, because you approached her as your wife before you knew of the breastfeeding.
You must write a certificate for her at the court, which she can rely on if her guardian wants to marry her off. She must observe the waiting period of three menstrual cycles from the time you separated from her.
May Allah grant everyone understanding of His religion and steadfastness upon it; He is indeed Generous and Bountiful.
And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.