Excerpt from Fatāwā Amaanpuri by Shaykh Ghulām Mustafa Zaheer Amaanpuri
A woman breastfed a non-Muslim girl who later accepted Islam. Can the woman's brother marry that girl?
Their marriage is not permissible.
The woman’s brother becomes the foster maternal uncle (raḍāʿī māmūn) of the girl, and she becomes his foster niece (raḍāʿī bhānajī).
Just as marriage between a biological maternal uncle and niece is forbidden, marriage between a foster maternal uncle and niece is also prohibited.
﴿وَبَنَاتُ الْأُخْتِ﴾
“And (forbidden to you in marriage are) the daughters of your sisters.”
Surah an-Nisā’ (4:23)
This includes both biological and foster (raḍāʿī) nieces, as the relationships prohibited by birth are also prohibited through breastfeeding.
Therefore, it is haram (forbidden) for the woman’s brother to marry the girl she breastfed — even if the girl later embraced Islam — because they are foster relatives through raḍāʿah.
❖ Question:
A woman breastfed a non-Muslim girl who later accepted Islam. Can the woman's brother marry that girl?
❖ Answer:
Their marriage is not permissible.
The woman’s brother becomes the foster maternal uncle (raḍāʿī māmūn) of the girl, and she becomes his foster niece (raḍāʿī bhānajī).
Just as marriage between a biological maternal uncle and niece is forbidden, marriage between a foster maternal uncle and niece is also prohibited.
✿ Qur’anic Evidence:
﴿وَبَنَاتُ الْأُخْتِ﴾
“And (forbidden to you in marriage are) the daughters of your sisters.”
Surah an-Nisā’ (4:23)This includes both biological and foster (raḍāʿī) nieces, as the relationships prohibited by birth are also prohibited through breastfeeding.
Conclusion:
Therefore, it is haram (forbidden) for the woman’s brother to marry the girl she breastfed — even if the girl later embraced Islam — because they are foster relatives through raḍāʿah.
