On Radha‘ah: Those Who Say One or Two Suckles Do Not Establish Fosterage

Hazrat Umm Fadl (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Suckling is not established by one or two feedings, nor by one or two sips.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One or two sucklings do not establish (the ruling of) breastfeeding."

It is narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Suckling is established only when the child drinks milk to his fill.

It is narrated from Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The prohibition of suckling is not established by one or two instances of suckling.

Hazrat Abu Zubair says that I asked Hazrat Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them) about suckling, so he replied that suckling is not established by one, two, or three sips.

Hazrat Zaid says that suckling is not established by one or two sips.

Hazrat Sulaiman bin Yasar says that prohibition is established by that amount of milk which satiates the intestines.

Hazrat Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that suckling is established by drinking enough milk that flesh develops and bones become strong.

Hazrat Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that suckling is established by that amount of milk from which flesh and blood are formed.

Hazrat Nafi’ narrates that when Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) intended that a child, after growing up, would be able to visit her, she would instruct one of her female relatives to breastfeed him. (so that Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) would become his foster aunt (maternal or paternal).) In this regard, she instructed (her sister) Hazrat Umm Kulthum to give Hazrat Salim (when he was a child) ten sucklings, (so that Salim would become Hazrat Aisha’s foster nephew). She gave him three sucklings and then became ill, so he did not come to her when he grew up. Similarly, (Hazrat Hafsa bint Umar (may Allah be pleased with her)) instructed Fatima bint Umar to give Asim ibn Sa’d (when he was a child) ten sucklings (so that Asim ibn Sa’d would become her foster nephew). Thus, she did so, and he used to come to her.