Question:
My mother breastfeed my cousin 2 times. Am I allowed to get married to him according to Hadith?
Answer
Breastfeeding or fosterage also establishes the hurmat or prohibition of the nikaah just like the wiladah or birth. It is mentioned in the Hadeeth e Mubarakah,
إِنَّ الرَّضَاعَةَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا تُحَرِّمُ الْوِلاَدَةُ “ .
Fosterage makes unlawful what consanguinity makes unlawful.
( Sahih Muslim 1444a)
It is mentioned in AlMabsoot that:
لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ الْأَخَوَاتُ مِنْ الرَّضَاعَةِ
A man must not marry…….his foster sisters. (Mabsoot. V 5.p.133)
Holy Quran also prohibited the marriage to foster sistesrs:
(Al nisaa 43){وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ مِنْ الرَّضَاعَةِ)
And prohibited upon you are…..your sisters from fosterage.
The Quran and Hadeeth clearly mention that the foster brother and sisters are haraam for each other, just like real brothers and sisters.
For fostering to be a reason for hurmat or prohibition, it has to occur in the time of Rida’at, i.e. fosterage. The period of Rida’at according to the opinion of Sahibain, which is relied upon in this case, is 2 years. As mentions in Radd ul Mukhtar:
(عِنْدَهُمَا وَهُوَ الْأَصَحُّ ) وَحَوْلَان فَقَطْ ِ )
According to them (sahibain) it is only two years and that is most appropriate
Thus, fosterage will only be established in the period of Rida’at and not after that. As mentioned in Fatwa e Shamia :
قَوْلُهُ فِي الْمُدَّةِ فَقَطْ، أَمَّا بَعْدَهُ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُوجِبُ التَّحْرِيمَ
(Shami, v 3. P 211)
Conclusion
In the light of the above, if your mother breastfed your cousin in the period of fosterage, then it will be haraam for you to get married to him.
واللہ تعالیٰ ورسولہ الکریم ﷺ اعلم بالصواب
Written by: Mufti Syed Siraj Ul Arifeen Shah
St. Ives (Cambridgeshire, UK)
10/09/2024 23:21, 7 Rabi ul Awwal, 1445 Hijri
