Excerpted from the book "Ahkām wa Masā’il Kitāb wa Sunnat kī Roshnī Mein" by Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbānī
My family has arranged my marriage with a man who, in his childhood, was attempted to be breastfed by my mother. However, he did not properly suckle her milk—although it is possible that a drop or two may have entered his mouth. Please clarify: Is such a marriage valid, and what quantity of milk establishes the prohibition of suckling (ḥurmat al-raḍāʿah)?
Allah the Exalted has mentioned the prohibited relations in the Qur'an:
﴿وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللَّاتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُم مِّنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ﴾
“Your mothers who breastfed you, and your sisters through breastfeeding are forbidden to you.”
[An-Nisāʾ: 23]
In the Qur’an, Allah ﷻ has generally mentioned the prohibition established by the nursing mother. However, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ elaborated on this by explaining the exact quantity of milk that establishes ḥurmah (prohibition).
Multiple authentic aḥādīth clarify that in infancy, suckling must be to the extent that it nourishes the child’s body and satisfies hunger.
Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrated:
“The Prophet ﷺ came to me while a man was sitting with me. His face changed (i.e., he disliked it). I said: ‘He is my brother through suckling.’ He ﷺ said: ‘Consider well who are your brothers through suckling, for suckling is only (recognized) when it fills the stomach (i.e., satisfies hunger).’”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Marriage, Chapter: No Raḍāʿah After Two Years (Hadith 5102)
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Hadith 1455/32)
Sayyidah Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Raḍāʿah establishes prohibition only when it tears the intestines (i.e., when it fills them), and it must occur before the weaning period."
Sunan al-Tirmidhī (Hadith 1152)
Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān – Chapter on Raḍāʿah Before the Age of Two (Hadith 4224)
Imām al-Tirmidhī رحمه الله said:
“This ḥadīth is ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ, and most scholars from the companions of the Prophet ﷺ and others acted upon it: Raḍāʿah does not make unlawful except that which occurs within two years, and anything after the full two years does not cause prohibition.”
There is also a corroborating narration from ʿAbdullāh bin Zubayr رضي الله عنهما that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Only the suckling that tears the intestines (i.e., satisfies the stomach) establishes prohibition."
Sunan Ibn Mājah, Book of Marriage, Chapter: No Raḍāʿah After Weaning (Hadith 1946)
From the above aḥādīth, it becomes clear that the valid period for breastfeeding is up to two full years, and during this time, if a woman breastfeeds a child enough to nourish his body, then this establishes ḥurmah (prohibition in marriage).
Imām al-Amīr aṣ-Ṣanʿānī رحمه الله explained:
“The raḍāʿah which makes ḥalwah (intimacy) permissible or impermissible is such that the milk satisfies the hunger of the suckling child—because their stomach is weak, and milk suffices them, helping their flesh to grow. Thus, it becomes part of them, and they become maḥram to the children of the nursing woman.”
Subul as-Salām, Book of Ṭalāq, Chapter on Raḍāʿah (p. 788)
He further stated:
“From the mentioned ḥadīth, it is deduced that only that suckling establishes prohibition which serves as nourishment, whether the milk is from the breast directly, poured into a vessel and drunk, or even administered through the nose or syringe—as long as it satisfies the hunger. This is the opinion of the majority of the imāms.”
Subul as-Salām (p. 788)
It must also be noted that one or two feeds do not establish raḍāʿah-based prohibition.
Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrated:
"Suckling once or twice does not make (a relationship) ḥarām."
Musnad Aḥmad (31/9, Hadith 24527)
Sayyidah Umm al-Faḍl رضي الله عنها said:
“While the Prophet ﷺ was in my house, a Bedouin came and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! I had a wife, and I have now married another woman. The first wife claimed she had breastfed the second once or twice.’ So the Prophet ﷺ replied: ‘One or two feeds do not establish prohibition.’”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Raḍāʿah, Chapter: On One or Two Feeds (Hadith 1451)
If a child suckles five full times from a woman within the breastfeeding period (i.e., under two years), and each feeding is substantial enough to nourish the child, ḥurmat al-raḍāʿah is established.
However, in the scenario mentioned in your question:
Hence, the marriage between the girl and the boy is absolutely valid and permissible.
(And Allah knows best.)
❖ Question:
My family has arranged my marriage with a man who, in his childhood, was attempted to be breastfed by my mother. However, he did not properly suckle her milk—although it is possible that a drop or two may have entered his mouth. Please clarify: Is such a marriage valid, and what quantity of milk establishes the prohibition of suckling (ḥurmat al-raḍāʿah)?
❖ Answer:
Allah the Exalted has mentioned the prohibited relations in the Qur'an:
﴿وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللَّاتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُم مِّنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ﴾
“Your mothers who breastfed you, and your sisters through breastfeeding are forbidden to you.”
[An-Nisāʾ: 23]In the Qur’an, Allah ﷻ has generally mentioned the prohibition established by the nursing mother. However, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ elaborated on this by explaining the exact quantity of milk that establishes ḥurmah (prohibition).
Multiple authentic aḥādīth clarify that in infancy, suckling must be to the extent that it nourishes the child’s body and satisfies hunger.
❖ Hadith Evidence:
Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrated:
“The Prophet ﷺ came to me while a man was sitting with me. His face changed (i.e., he disliked it). I said: ‘He is my brother through suckling.’ He ﷺ said: ‘Consider well who are your brothers through suckling, for suckling is only (recognized) when it fills the stomach (i.e., satisfies hunger).’”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Marriage, Chapter: No Raḍāʿah After Two Years (Hadith 5102) Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (Hadith 1455/32)Sayyidah Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Raḍāʿah establishes prohibition only when it tears the intestines (i.e., when it fills them), and it must occur before the weaning period."
Sunan al-Tirmidhī (Hadith 1152) Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān – Chapter on Raḍāʿah Before the Age of Two (Hadith 4224)Imām al-Tirmidhī رحمه الله said:
“This ḥadīth is ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ, and most scholars from the companions of the Prophet ﷺ and others acted upon it: Raḍāʿah does not make unlawful except that which occurs within two years, and anything after the full two years does not cause prohibition.”
There is also a corroborating narration from ʿAbdullāh bin Zubayr رضي الله عنهما that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Only the suckling that tears the intestines (i.e., satisfies the stomach) establishes prohibition."
Sunan Ibn Mājah, Book of Marriage, Chapter: No Raḍāʿah After Weaning (Hadith 1946)❖ Scholarly Interpretation:
From the above aḥādīth, it becomes clear that the valid period for breastfeeding is up to two full years, and during this time, if a woman breastfeeds a child enough to nourish his body, then this establishes ḥurmah (prohibition in marriage).
Imām al-Amīr aṣ-Ṣanʿānī رحمه الله explained:
“The raḍāʿah which makes ḥalwah (intimacy) permissible or impermissible is such that the milk satisfies the hunger of the suckling child—because their stomach is weak, and milk suffices them, helping their flesh to grow. Thus, it becomes part of them, and they become maḥram to the children of the nursing woman.”
Subul as-Salām, Book of Ṭalāq, Chapter on Raḍāʿah (p. 788)He further stated:
“From the mentioned ḥadīth, it is deduced that only that suckling establishes prohibition which serves as nourishment, whether the milk is from the breast directly, poured into a vessel and drunk, or even administered through the nose or syringe—as long as it satisfies the hunger. This is the opinion of the majority of the imāms.”
Subul as-Salām (p. 788)❖ Suckling Once or Twice Does Not Establish Prohibition
It must also be noted that one or two feeds do not establish raḍāʿah-based prohibition.
Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrated:
"Suckling once or twice does not make (a relationship) ḥarām."
Musnad Aḥmad (31/9, Hadith 24527)Sayyidah Umm al-Faḍl رضي الله عنها said:
“While the Prophet ﷺ was in my house, a Bedouin came and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! I had a wife, and I have now married another woman. The first wife claimed she had breastfed the second once or twice.’ So the Prophet ﷺ replied: ‘One or two feeds do not establish prohibition.’”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Raḍāʿah, Chapter: On One or Two Feeds (Hadith 1451)
Conclusion:
If a child suckles five full times from a woman within the breastfeeding period (i.e., under two years), and each feeding is substantial enough to nourish the child, ḥurmat al-raḍāʿah is established.
However, in the scenario mentioned in your question:
- The breastfeeding was not confirmed.
- At most, it is a doubt, possibly one or two sips.
- Therefore, no ḥurmah is established in this case.
Hence, the marriage between the girl and the boy is absolutely valid and permissible.
(And Allah knows best.)
