Is a man who was raised by a woman considered a mahram (a relative one may not marry) to her?
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Question:
The listener Abdullah al-Harbi from Jeddah, al-Aziziyah, sent a question saying: Our mother raised a child who was seven days old at the time of his upbringing. She breastfed him with artificial milk, meaning formula milk, and she was unable to breastfeed him naturally because she had no milk at that time. Is it permissible for the daughters of the woman mentioned to meet him now that he has reached the age of eighteen, or is it permissible for them to shake his hand, even if all the family members are present? We ask for guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Raising a child does not make the raised child a mahram (a relative one may not marry) to the woman or to her daughters. However, they have the reward for that; they have the reward for doing good and enjoining what is right. But this raised child does not become a mahram to the woman who raised him, nor to her daughters, nor to her sisters. He is a non-mahram (a stranger). They must observe hijab (the covering prescribed for women) in his presence and must not shake his hand. However, they should greet him with the Islamic greeting, and they should initiate the greeting. If he initiates it, they should return the greeting and ask about his condition. There is nothing wrong with this. All of this is a required matter with him and with others.
As for him being considered a mahram (a relative one may not marry) due to this upbringing, no, he is not a mahram due to this upbringing. He is like other non-mahrams (strangers). He is allowed to marry the woman who raised him, and he is allowed to marry one of her daughters, provided there is no breastfeeding relationship or blood relationship between them. As for her having raised him on milk that did not come from her breast, this does not make him her son. But she is a doer of good and has the reward for her goodness. However, he does not become her son by this, nor a mahram to her daughters, nor to her sisters, nor to her mother. Rather, he is a non-mahram (a stranger).
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
The listener Abdullah al-Harbi from Jeddah, al-Aziziyah, sent a question saying: Our mother raised a child who was seven days old at the time of his upbringing. She breastfed him with artificial milk, meaning formula milk, and she was unable to breastfeed him naturally because she had no milk at that time. Is it permissible for the daughters of the woman mentioned to meet him now that he has reached the age of eighteen, or is it permissible for them to shake his hand, even if all the family members are present? We ask for guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Raising a child does not make the raised child a mahram (a relative one may not marry) to the woman or to her daughters. However, they have the reward for that; they have the reward for doing good and enjoining what is right. But this raised child does not become a mahram to the woman who raised him, nor to her daughters, nor to her sisters. He is a non-mahram (a stranger). They must observe hijab (the covering prescribed for women) in his presence and must not shake his hand. However, they should greet him with the Islamic greeting, and they should initiate the greeting. If he initiates it, they should return the greeting and ask about his condition. There is nothing wrong with this. All of this is a required matter with him and with others.
As for him being considered a mahram (a relative one may not marry) due to this upbringing, no, he is not a mahram due to this upbringing. He is like other non-mahrams (strangers). He is allowed to marry the woman who raised him, and he is allowed to marry one of her daughters, provided there is no breastfeeding relationship or blood relationship between them. As for her having raised him on milk that did not come from her breast, this does not make him her son. But she is a doer of good and has the reward for her goodness. However, he does not become her son by this, nor a mahram to her daughters, nor to her sisters, nor to her mother. Rather, he is a non-mahram (a stranger).
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.