Does One Suckling Establish Fosterage? A Juristic Analysis
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 740
A situation has arisen where a woman has breastfed a child only once. Is it permissible for that child to marry the daughter of that woman?
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
If the query has been stated accurately, then it is permissible in Islamic law for this boy to marry the daughter of that woman. The reason is that fosterage (raḍāʿah) is not legally established by merely one suckling. The following ḥadīth of Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها serves as evidence:
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:
"لَا تُحَرِّمُ الرَّضْعَةُ وَالرَّضْعَتَانِ، وَالْمَصَّةُ وَالْمَصَّتَانِ"
"A single or two sucklings, or one or two mouthfuls, do not establish prohibition (of fosterage)."
(Musnad Aḥmad, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1/429, Ahl al-Sunan)
Another narration from Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها states:
عَنْهَا قَالَتْ:
"كَانَ فِيمَا أُنْزِلَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ: عَشْرُ رَضَعَاتٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ يُحَرِّمْنَ، ثُمَّ نُسِخْنَ بِخَمْسٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ، فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَهُنَّ فِيمَا يُقْرَأُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ."
"Among what was revealed in the Qur'an was: ten known sucklings establish the prohibition (of marriage). Then it was abrogated to five known sucklings. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away while this (ruling) was still being recited from the Qur'an."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasā’ī; Fiqh al-Sunnah Vol. 2, p. 18; Subul al-Salām Vol. 3, p. 216)
◈ The first ḥadīth implies that one or two feedings do not establish the legal fosterage prohibition.
◈ The second ḥadīth summarizes that initially, ten feedings were required to establish the prohibition, which was later abrogated to five known feedings.
This is the view of many eminent scholars:
◈ ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه
◈ Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها
◈ ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنه
◈ Imām ʿAṭāʾ
◈ Ṭāwūs
◈ Imām al-Shāfiʿī
◈ Imām Aḥmad (according to the apparent view of his madhhab)
◈ Ibn Ḥazm
◈ Majority of Ahl al-Ḥadīth
(Fiqh al-Sunnah Vol. 2, pp. 67–68)
However, the majority of jurists are of the opinion that any amount of suckling, whether small or large, establishes fosterage.
قال في المسوى:
“Imām al-Shāfiʿī holds that less than five separate feedings do not establish fosterage. Whereas most jurists—including Mālik, Abū Ḥanīfah, and others—believe that both minimal and extensive suckling establishes the prohibition. This view is attributed to ʿAlī, Ibn ʿAbbās, Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, al-Zuhrī, Qatādah, Ḥammād, al-Awzāʿī, Ibn Ḥanīfah, Mālik, and one narration from Aḥmad.”
(Fatāwā Nazīriyyah Vol. 3, p. 152; Fiqh al-Sunnah Vol. 2, p. 66)
Although the majority base their view on general (muṭlaq) texts, the principle in jurisprudence is that a general ruling is interpreted in light of a specific (muqayyad) text. On this basis, Imām al-Shāfiʿī’s view is considered stronger—that fosterage is only established by five separate sucklings.
After analyzing all the evidences, Imām Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Shawkānī رحمه الله stated:
فَظَاهِرُ مَا ذَهَبَ إِلَيْهِ الْقَائِلُونَ بِاعْتِبَارِ الْخَمْسِ
"Apparently, the view of those who consider five feedings necessary (for fosterage) is correct."
Among those who held this view are:
◈ ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه
◈ ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها
◈ ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنه
◈ ʿAṭāʾ
◈ Ṭāwūs
◈ Saʿīd ibn Jubayr
◈ ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr
◈ Layth ibn Saʿd
◈ Imām al-Shāfiʿī
◈ Imām Aḥmad
◈ Imām Isḥāq
◈ Ibn Ḥazm رحمهم الله
(Refer: Nayl al-Awṭār, Subul al-Salām, Tuḥfah al-Aḥwadhī, Fatḥ al-Bārī)
Thus, in the scenario described, one suckling does not establish the prohibition of fosterage. Therefore, the boy may marry the daughter of the woman who breastfed him once.
◈ Imām Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Kaḥlānī
◈ Mawlānā Muḥammad ʿAlī Panjābī
◈ Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Mubārakpūrī
◈ Shaykh al-Kull Sayyid Nazīr Ḥusayn al-Muḥaddith al-Dihlawī
◈ Nawwāb Sayyid Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān
هَذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I hold to be correct, and Allah knows best.
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 740
❖ Question:
A situation has arisen where a woman has breastfed a child only once. Is it permissible for that child to marry the daughter of that woman?
❖ Answer:
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
If the query has been stated accurately, then it is permissible in Islamic law for this boy to marry the daughter of that woman. The reason is that fosterage (raḍāʿah) is not legally established by merely one suckling. The following ḥadīth of Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها serves as evidence:
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:
"لَا تُحَرِّمُ الرَّضْعَةُ وَالرَّضْعَتَانِ، وَالْمَصَّةُ وَالْمَصَّتَانِ"
"A single or two sucklings, or one or two mouthfuls, do not establish prohibition (of fosterage)."
(Musnad Aḥmad, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1/429, Ahl al-Sunan)
Another narration from Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها states:
عَنْهَا قَالَتْ:
"كَانَ فِيمَا أُنْزِلَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ: عَشْرُ رَضَعَاتٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ يُحَرِّمْنَ، ثُمَّ نُسِخْنَ بِخَمْسٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ، فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَهُنَّ فِيمَا يُقْرَأُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ."
"Among what was revealed in the Qur'an was: ten known sucklings establish the prohibition (of marriage). Then it was abrogated to five known sucklings. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away while this (ruling) was still being recited from the Qur'an."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasā’ī; Fiqh al-Sunnah Vol. 2, p. 18; Subul al-Salām Vol. 3, p. 216)
❖ Explanation of the Ḥadīths:
◈ The first ḥadīth implies that one or two feedings do not establish the legal fosterage prohibition.
◈ The second ḥadīth summarizes that initially, ten feedings were required to establish the prohibition, which was later abrogated to five known feedings.
❖ View of the Scholars:
This is the view of many eminent scholars:
◈ ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه
◈ Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها
◈ ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنه
◈ Imām ʿAṭāʾ
◈ Ṭāwūs
◈ Imām al-Shāfiʿī
◈ Imām Aḥmad (according to the apparent view of his madhhab)
◈ Ibn Ḥazm
◈ Majority of Ahl al-Ḥadīth
(Fiqh al-Sunnah Vol. 2, pp. 67–68)
❖ View of the Majority of Jurists (Jumhūr Fuqahā’):
However, the majority of jurists are of the opinion that any amount of suckling, whether small or large, establishes fosterage.
قال في المسوى:
“Imām al-Shāfiʿī holds that less than five separate feedings do not establish fosterage. Whereas most jurists—including Mālik, Abū Ḥanīfah, and others—believe that both minimal and extensive suckling establishes the prohibition. This view is attributed to ʿAlī, Ibn ʿAbbās, Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, al-Zuhrī, Qatādah, Ḥammād, al-Awzāʿī, Ibn Ḥanīfah, Mālik, and one narration from Aḥmad.”
(Fatāwā Nazīriyyah Vol. 3, p. 152; Fiqh al-Sunnah Vol. 2, p. 66)
❖ Strongest (Rājiḥ) Opinion:
Although the majority base their view on general (muṭlaq) texts, the principle in jurisprudence is that a general ruling is interpreted in light of a specific (muqayyad) text. On this basis, Imām al-Shāfiʿī’s view is considered stronger—that fosterage is only established by five separate sucklings.
❖ Conclusion of Imām al-Shawkānī رحمه الله:
After analyzing all the evidences, Imām Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Shawkānī رحمه الله stated:
فَظَاهِرُ مَا ذَهَبَ إِلَيْهِ الْقَائِلُونَ بِاعْتِبَارِ الْخَمْسِ
"Apparently, the view of those who consider five feedings necessary (for fosterage) is correct."
Among those who held this view are:
◈ ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه
◈ ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها
◈ ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنه
◈ ʿAṭāʾ
◈ Ṭāwūs
◈ Saʿīd ibn Jubayr
◈ ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr
◈ Layth ibn Saʿd
◈ Imām al-Shāfiʿī
◈ Imām Aḥmad
◈ Imām Isḥāq
◈ Ibn Ḥazm رحمهم الله
(Refer: Nayl al-Awṭār, Subul al-Salām, Tuḥfah al-Aḥwadhī, Fatḥ al-Bārī)
Final Verdict:
Thus, in the scenario described, one suckling does not establish the prohibition of fosterage. Therefore, the boy may marry the daughter of the woman who breastfed him once.
❖ This same opinion is endorsed by the following scholars:
◈ Imām Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Kaḥlānī
◈ Mawlānā Muḥammad ʿAlī Panjābī
◈ Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Mubārakpūrī
◈ Shaykh al-Kull Sayyid Nazīr Ḥusayn al-Muḥaddith al-Dihlawī
◈ Nawwāb Sayyid Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān
هَذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I hold to be correct, and Allah knows best.
