Important Guidelines Related to Milk-Suckling

The Permanent Committee

Question: If I have a mother from suckling, what is obligatory upon me as it relates to her and am I to call upon her, saying: “O Ummie," or the likes? Likewise, her daughter whom I was suckled along with; am I to call upon her saying: “O my sister,”? How should the greeting of Salaam be for them? Should I shake their hand or give them a kiss? Likewise, her son who is younger than the daughter; is he my brother? Also, does it make a difference if her brother is older than her or younger? Likewise, my younger brother was suckled along with her younger brother; is he her brother? Is it permissible for the girl to give a kiss to her brother from suckling?

Answer: It is a condition, in suckling which makes one a Mahram, that it takes place within the first two years of the child’s life; and that there be five or more instances of suckling. The description of that it that the child latches onto the breast and drinks the milk. When the child stops on his own or transfers to the other breast then this is considered one suckle; and so on, until five instances of suckling have been completed. If it is less than that, by even one suckling, then it does not make one a Mahram; due to the statement of the Most High, when mentioning the Mahrams:

﴿وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللَّاتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ﴾

Your foster mother who gave you suck, your foster milk suckling sisters (An-Nisa 4:23)

Likewise, due to the statement of the Prophet ﷺ within the Hadeeth, the authenticity of which is agreed upon (by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim):

يحرم من الرضاعة ما يحرم من الرحم وفي لفظ من النسب

"That which is made impermissible by blood ties is likewise made impermissible by suckling.”

Muslim reported, on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, that she said: ”It used to be, in that which was send down from the ‘Qur’aan, that ten known instances of suckling made one a Mahram. Then that was abrogated by it being made five known instances. So the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ passed away and this was within that which was recited from the Qur’aan.”

Likewise, on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, she said: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said:

لا تحرم المصة ولا المصتان

”One or two suckles does not make one Mahram.” (Reported by Muslim)

Hence, if these conditions are met within the suckling, the one who was suckled becomes a son by milk-suckling to the one who suckled him; and all of her children become his siblings by milk-suckling. He likewise becomes a son to her husband to whom her milk is ascribed; and thus all those who are Mahram to the husband are likewise Mahram to the one that was suckled (by his wife); and his (the husband) children are siblings to the one who was suckled, whether they are by the one who suckled him or other than her from other wives. That which is brought about by suckling is establishment of kinship and impermissibility of marriage to the Mahrams of the one who suckled the child and the Mahrams of her husband; and it is recommended to join the ties of kinship with them, by way of the Salam and other than it.

🌐 Source: https://goo.gl/hicsP1

Translated by Raha Batts

Translator's Note: This translation is from several years ago; and the link no longer drives directly to the original Arabic.