Ruling on Marriage After Breastfeeding from Stepmaternal Grandmother – Clarifying Ḥurmat al-Riḍāʿah
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, Pg. 735
Muḥammad Yūnus (son of Lāl Dīn) arranged the marriage of his son Sikandar Dhū al-Qarnayn with the daughter of his real sister.
However, when Sikandar was about 6 or 7 months old, his step-grandmother (his father's stepmother) nursed him once, for about one or two minutes to quiet his crying while his mother was busy with housework.
At that time, Muḥammad Yūnus’s youngest brother (from the same stepmother) was still nursing.
Now the question arises: Is it permissible for Muḥammad Yūnus to marry his son Sikandar to his sister’s daughter, given this incident of breastfeeding?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
In this situation, Muḥammad Yūnus may marry his son Sikandar Dhū al-Qarnayn to his sister’s daughter, because:
Breastfeeding only once does not establish ḥurmat al-riḍāʿah (legal prohibition through suckling).
➊ From ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها:
“The Prophet ﷺ said: A single suckling or two do not establish prohibition.”
Narrated by al-Jamāʿah (except al-Bukhārī); Nayl al-Awṭār, Kitāb al-Riḍāʿ, Vol. 6, Pg. 347
—
➋ From Umm al-Faḍl رضي الله عنها:
“A man asked the Prophet ﷺ: Does one suckling cause prohibition? He replied: No, not one or two sucklings.”
Musnad Aḥmad & Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim; Nayl al-Awṭār, Vol. 6, Pg. 347
—
➌ From ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها again:
“In the Qur'an, ten clear sucklings were revealed (as the basis of prohibition), then this was abrogated to five known sucklings. The Prophet ﷺ passed away while this was still being recited as part of the Qur'an.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim & Abū Dāwūd; Nayl al-Awṭār, Vol. 6, Pg. 348
—
Imām al-Shawkānī رحمه الله writes:
“From these narrations, it is derived that prohibition through riḍāʿah only occurs after five known sucklings.”
Nayl al-Awṭār, Vol. 6, Pg. 350
This is also the opinion of many major scholars, including:
✔ Ibn Masʿūd
✔ ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr
✔ ʿAṭāʾ, Ṭāwūs, Saʿīd ibn Jubayr
✔ ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr, Layth ibn Saʿd
✔ Imām al-Shāfiʿī, Imām Aḥmad, Imām Isḥāq
✔ Ibn Ḥazm رحمهُم الله
While some majority scholars (jumhūr) believe even one or two sucklings establish prohibition, the stronger and correct opinion is that only five or more sucklings establish ḥurmat al-riḍāʿah, as supported by the Hadith of ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها and the fatwa of:
🖋 Shaykh al-Kull Sayyid Naẓīr Ḥusayn Muḥaddith Dehlawī
(Fatāwā Naẓīriyyah, Vol. 3, Pg. 152)
—
What is a “raḍʿah” or “miṣṣah”?
◈ A miṣṣah (suckling) is when the infant takes the breast, drinks milk, then stops — this is counted as one full raḍʿah.
◈ If the child drinks five separate times, even in one sitting, it will be counted as five full sucklings.
If Sikandar drank only once from his grandmother, then:
→ He is not a milk-son,
→ Her children are not his milk-siblings,
→ Therefore, he can marry his paternal aunt’s daughter.
However, if it is confirmed that he suckled five times from his grandmother, then:
→ He becomes her milk-son,
→ Her children become his milk-siblings,
→ And the girl (his aunt’s daughter) would be his milk-niece,
→ Based on the ḥadīth:
“Whatever is made unlawful through lineage is also made unlawful through breastfeeding.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 2, Pg. 764
→ In this case, marriage would be permanently prohibited.
❶ If Sikandar only suckled once, then marriage is allowed.
❷ If he suckled five or more times, then marriage is ḥarām due to riḍāʿah.
❸ As per the evidence and strongest scholarly view, less than five sucklings do not establish ḥurmat al-riḍāʿah.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, Pg. 735❖ Question:
Muḥammad Yūnus (son of Lāl Dīn) arranged the marriage of his son Sikandar Dhū al-Qarnayn with the daughter of his real sister.
However, when Sikandar was about 6 or 7 months old, his step-grandmother (his father's stepmother) nursed him once, for about one or two minutes to quiet his crying while his mother was busy with housework.
At that time, Muḥammad Yūnus’s youngest brother (from the same stepmother) was still nursing.
Now the question arises: Is it permissible for Muḥammad Yūnus to marry his son Sikandar to his sister’s daughter, given this incident of breastfeeding?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
Core Ruling:
In this situation, Muḥammad Yūnus may marry his son Sikandar Dhū al-Qarnayn to his sister’s daughter, because:
Breastfeeding only once does not establish ḥurmat al-riḍāʿah (legal prohibition through suckling).
❖ Evidences from Authentic Ḥadīth:
➊ From ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها:
“The Prophet ﷺ said: A single suckling or two do not establish prohibition.”
Narrated by al-Jamāʿah (except al-Bukhārī); Nayl al-Awṭār, Kitāb al-Riḍāʿ, Vol. 6, Pg. 347—
➋ From Umm al-Faḍl رضي الله عنها:
“A man asked the Prophet ﷺ: Does one suckling cause prohibition? He replied: No, not one or two sucklings.”
Musnad Aḥmad & Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim; Nayl al-Awṭār, Vol. 6, Pg. 347—
➌ From ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها again:
“In the Qur'an, ten clear sucklings were revealed (as the basis of prohibition), then this was abrogated to five known sucklings. The Prophet ﷺ passed away while this was still being recited as part of the Qur'an.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim & Abū Dāwūd; Nayl al-Awṭār, Vol. 6, Pg. 348—
❖ Scholarly Commentary:
Imām al-Shawkānī رحمه الله writes:
“From these narrations, it is derived that prohibition through riḍāʿah only occurs after five known sucklings.”
Nayl al-Awṭār, Vol. 6, Pg. 350This is also the opinion of many major scholars, including:
✔ Ibn Masʿūd
✔ ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr
✔ ʿAṭāʾ, Ṭāwūs, Saʿīd ibn Jubayr
✔ ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr, Layth ibn Saʿd
✔ Imām al-Shāfiʿī, Imām Aḥmad, Imām Isḥāq
✔ Ibn Ḥazm رحمهُم الله
While some majority scholars (jumhūr) believe even one or two sucklings establish prohibition, the stronger and correct opinion is that only five or more sucklings establish ḥurmat al-riḍāʿah, as supported by the Hadith of ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها and the fatwa of:
🖋 Shaykh al-Kull Sayyid Naẓīr Ḥusayn Muḥaddith Dehlawī
(Fatāwā Naẓīriyyah, Vol. 3, Pg. 152)—
❖ Important Clarification (from Al-Iʿtiṣām):
What is a “raḍʿah” or “miṣṣah”?
◈ A miṣṣah (suckling) is when the infant takes the breast, drinks milk, then stops — this is counted as one full raḍʿah.
◈ If the child drinks five separate times, even in one sitting, it will be counted as five full sucklings.
❖ Conditional Verdict:
If Sikandar drank only once from his grandmother, then:→ He is not a milk-son,
→ Her children are not his milk-siblings,
→ Therefore, he can marry his paternal aunt’s daughter.
However, if it is confirmed that he suckled five times from his grandmother, then:→ He becomes her milk-son,
→ Her children become his milk-siblings,
→ And the girl (his aunt’s daughter) would be his milk-niece,
→ Based on the ḥadīth:
“Whatever is made unlawful through lineage is also made unlawful through breastfeeding.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 2, Pg. 764→ In this case, marriage would be permanently prohibited.
Final Decision:
❶ If Sikandar only suckled once, then marriage is allowed.
❷ If he suckled five or more times, then marriage is ḥarām due to riḍāʿah.
❸ As per the evidence and strongest scholarly view, less than five sucklings do not establish ḥurmat al-riḍāʿah.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
