Books » Islamic Laws
Search in:
CONDITIONS FOR BREASTFEEDING TO CAUSE SOMEONE TO BECOME MAḤRAM →
← MISCELLANEOUS RULINGS ON MARRIAGE
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT » Breastfeeding
Ruling 2482. If a woman breastfeeds a child and fulfils the conditions that will be stated in Ruling 2492, the child becomes maḥram[1] to the women mentioned below if the child is a boy, or to the men mentioned below if the child is a girl:
1. the woman herself; she is called the ‘nursing mother’ (murḍiʿah);
2. the nursing mother’s husband to whom the milk is related;[2] he is called the ‘nursing father’ (ṣāḥib al‑laban);
3. the father and mother of the nursing mother [and her grandparents], however many generations they go back, even if they are her nursing mother and father [or her nursing grandparents];
4. the children who have been born to the nursing mother or who will be born in the future;
5. the offspring of the woman’s biological children, however many generations they go forward, whether they [i.e. the offspring of the other generations] are their biological children or their nursing children;
6. the sisters and brothers of the nursing mother, even if they are nursing sisters and brothers, meaning that they have become sisters and brothers of the nursing mother due to having been breastfed by the same woman;
7. the paternal uncles and the paternal aunts of the nursing mother, even if they are nursing paternal uncles and paternal aunts;
8. the maternal uncles and the maternal aunts of the nursing mother, even if they are nursing maternal uncles and maternal aunts;
9. the offspring of the nursing mother’s husband to whom the milk is related [i.e. the nursing father], however many generations they go forward, even if they are his nursing offspring;
10. the father and mother of the nursing father [and his grandparents], however many generations they go back;
11. the sisters and brothers of the nursing father, even if they are his nursing sisters and brothers;
12. the paternal uncles and the paternal aunts and the maternal uncles and the maternal aunts of the nursing father, however many generations they go back, even if they are his nursing uncles and aunts.
Some other people also become maḥram on account of breastfeeding, as will be explained in the subsequent rulings.
Ruling 2483. If a woman breastfeeds a child and fulfils the conditions that will be mentioned in Ruling 2492, the father of that child cannot marry the woman’s biological daughters. In the event that one of them is presently his wife, the marriage contract becomes invalid (bāṭil). However, it is permitted (jāʾiz) for him to marry her nursing daughters, although the recommended precaution (al‑iḥtiyāṭ al‑mustaḥabb) is that he should not marry them. Furthermore, he cannot, based on obligatory precaution (al‑iḥtiyāṭ al‑wājib), marry the biological and nursing daughters of the nursing father. In the event that one of them is presently his wife, then based on obligatory precaution, the marriage contract becomes invalid.
Ruling 2484. If a woman breastfeeds a child and fulfils the conditions that will be mentioned in Ruling 2492, the nursing father does not become maḥram to the sisters of that child. Furthermore, the nursing father’s relatives do not become maḥram to the child’s sisters and brothers.
Ruling 2485. If a woman breastfeeds a child, she does not become maḥram to the child’s brothers. Furthermore, the woman’s relatives do not become maḥram to the breastfed child’s sisters and brothers.
Ruling 2486. If a man marries a woman who has fully breastfed a girl and has sexual intercourse with the woman, he can no longer marry the girl.
Ruling 2487. If a man marries a girl, he can no longer marry the woman who fully breastfed her as a girl.
Ruling 2488. A man cannot marry a girl who has been fully breastfed by his mother or grandmother. And if his father’s wife nurses a girl from the milk that is related to his father, he cannot marry that girl. Furthermore, in the event that a man contracts a marriage with a breastfeeding girl and after that his mother, his grandmother, or his father’s wife breastfeeds the girl, the marriage contract becomes void (bāṭil).
Ruling 2489. A man cannot marry a girl who has been fully breastfed by his sister or his brother’s wife from the milk that is related to his brother. The same applies if the girl is breastfed by the man’s niece, his sister’s granddaughter, or his brother’s granddaughter.
Ruling 2490. If a woman fully breastfeeds her daughter’s child, the daughter becomes unlawful (ḥarām) for her own husband. The same applies if she breastfeeds the child of her daughter’s husband from another woman. However, if a woman breastfeeds her son’s child, her son’s wife – who is the mother of that breastfeeding child – does not become unlawful for her husband.
Ruling 2491. If the wife of the father of a girl breastfeeds the child of the girl’s husband with the milk that is related to the girl’s father, then based on the precaution mentioned in Ruling 2483, the girl becomes unlawful for her husband, irrespective of whether the child is the child of the same girl or some other woman.
1. the woman herself; she is called the ‘nursing mother’ (murḍiʿah);
2. the nursing mother’s husband to whom the milk is related;[2] he is called the ‘nursing father’ (ṣāḥib al‑laban);
3. the father and mother of the nursing mother [and her grandparents], however many generations they go back, even if they are her nursing mother and father [or her nursing grandparents];
4. the children who have been born to the nursing mother or who will be born in the future;
5. the offspring of the woman’s biological children, however many generations they go forward, whether they [i.e. the offspring of the other generations] are their biological children or their nursing children;
6. the sisters and brothers of the nursing mother, even if they are nursing sisters and brothers, meaning that they have become sisters and brothers of the nursing mother due to having been breastfed by the same woman;
7. the paternal uncles and the paternal aunts of the nursing mother, even if they are nursing paternal uncles and paternal aunts;
8. the maternal uncles and the maternal aunts of the nursing mother, even if they are nursing maternal uncles and maternal aunts;
9. the offspring of the nursing mother’s husband to whom the milk is related [i.e. the nursing father], however many generations they go forward, even if they are his nursing offspring;
10. the father and mother of the nursing father [and his grandparents], however many generations they go back;
11. the sisters and brothers of the nursing father, even if they are his nursing sisters and brothers;
12. the paternal uncles and the paternal aunts and the maternal uncles and the maternal aunts of the nursing father, however many generations they go back, even if they are his nursing uncles and aunts.
Some other people also become maḥram on account of breastfeeding, as will be explained in the subsequent rulings.
Ruling 2483. If a woman breastfeeds a child and fulfils the conditions that will be mentioned in Ruling 2492, the father of that child cannot marry the woman’s biological daughters. In the event that one of them is presently his wife, the marriage contract becomes invalid (bāṭil). However, it is permitted (jāʾiz) for him to marry her nursing daughters, although the recommended precaution (al‑iḥtiyāṭ al‑mustaḥabb) is that he should not marry them. Furthermore, he cannot, based on obligatory precaution (al‑iḥtiyāṭ al‑wājib), marry the biological and nursing daughters of the nursing father. In the event that one of them is presently his wife, then based on obligatory precaution, the marriage contract becomes invalid.
Ruling 2484. If a woman breastfeeds a child and fulfils the conditions that will be mentioned in Ruling 2492, the nursing father does not become maḥram to the sisters of that child. Furthermore, the nursing father’s relatives do not become maḥram to the child’s sisters and brothers.
Ruling 2485. If a woman breastfeeds a child, she does not become maḥram to the child’s brothers. Furthermore, the woman’s relatives do not become maḥram to the breastfed child’s sisters and brothers.
Ruling 2486. If a man marries a woman who has fully breastfed a girl and has sexual intercourse with the woman, he can no longer marry the girl.
Ruling 2487. If a man marries a girl, he can no longer marry the woman who fully breastfed her as a girl.
Ruling 2488. A man cannot marry a girl who has been fully breastfed by his mother or grandmother. And if his father’s wife nurses a girl from the milk that is related to his father, he cannot marry that girl. Furthermore, in the event that a man contracts a marriage with a breastfeeding girl and after that his mother, his grandmother, or his father’s wife breastfeeds the girl, the marriage contract becomes void (bāṭil).
Ruling 2489. A man cannot marry a girl who has been fully breastfed by his sister or his brother’s wife from the milk that is related to his brother. The same applies if the girl is breastfed by the man’s niece, his sister’s granddaughter, or his brother’s granddaughter.
Ruling 2490. If a woman fully breastfeeds her daughter’s child, the daughter becomes unlawful (ḥarām) for her own husband. The same applies if she breastfeeds the child of her daughter’s husband from another woman. However, if a woman breastfeeds her son’s child, her son’s wife – who is the mother of that breastfeeding child – does not become unlawful for her husband.
Ruling 2491. If the wife of the father of a girl breastfeeds the child of the girl’s husband with the milk that is related to the girl’s father, then based on the precaution mentioned in Ruling 2483, the girl becomes unlawful for her husband, irrespective of whether the child is the child of the same girl or some other woman.
[1] A maḥram is a person one is never permitted to marry on account of being related to them in a particular way, such as being their parent or sibling.
[2] The phrase ‘to whom the milk is related’ and its variations refer to the man with whom the woman had sexual intercourse which resulted in her having milk.