The Creed of Compassion-Islamic Teachings & Answering Doctrinal Misconceptions

Issue No. 2108- If a woman suckles a child with the conditions which will be mentioned in the coming issues, that woman is regarded as its mother, and that man, i.e., the husband of the woman (to whom the milk is related) is considered as its father. The father of that man is considered its paternal grandfather and his mother is considered as its paternal grandmother, his brother is considered as its paternal uncle, his sister is considered as its paternal aunt, and his children are considered as its brothers and sisters. Similarly, the father of that woman (the one who suckles the child) is considered as the child’s maternal grandfather, her mother is considered as its maternal grandmother, her brother is considered as its maternal uncle and her sister is considered as its maternal aunt. Also, the girl who has been suckled by the woman will be haram to that woman’s husband, provided that this man has had sexual intercourse with his wife. One cannot marry the woman who has breastfed his wife, because she is considered to be as his mother-in-law. In other words, when a child is suckled with the conditions that will follow, that child will become maḥram to the following:1- The woman herself (i.e., the woman who suckles the child) and she is called the riḍā‘ī mother.2- The husband of the woman [to whom the milk is related to]; he is called the riḍā‘ī father.3- The father and mother [even the riḍā‘ī mother and father] of that woman and all above them in the family line.4- The children born of that woman or those who are born to her later. 5- The children of the children of that woman, however low they may go in the family line, regardless of whether they are born of her children or her children had suckled them.6- The sister and brother of that woman, even if they are her riḍā‘ī sister and riḍā‘ī brother.7- Paternal uncle and paternal aunt of that woman, even if they are her riḍā‘ī uncle and riḍā‘ī aunt. 8- Maternal uncle and maternal aunt of that woman, even if they are her riḍā‘ī uncle and riḍā‘ī aunt.9- The children of that woman’s husband (to whom the milk is related), however low they may go in the family line, even if they may be his riḍā‘ī children.10- The father and mother of that husband (to whom the milk is related), however high they may go in the family line.11- The sister and brother of the husband (to whom the milk is related), even if they are his riḍā‘ī sister and riḍā‘ī brother.12- The paternal uncle, paternal aunt, maternal uncle and maternal aunt of the husband (to whom the milk is related), however high they may go in the line. There are some other persons also (details regarding whom will be given in the following issues) who become maḥram on account of suckling.

Issue No. 2109- If a woman suckles an infant under the conditions that will be explained later, the father of that child cannot marry the daughters of that woman nor, as an obligatory precaution, can he marry the daughter of the man to whom the milk belongs. Moreover, the obligatory precaution is that he should not marry the riḍā‘ī daughters of that woman also. However, there is no objection in marrying the riḍā‘ī daughters of that woman from another husband.

Issue No. 2109- If a woman suckles an infant under the conditions that will be explained later, the father of that child cannot marry the daughters of that woman nor, as an obligatory precaution, can he marry the daughter of the man to whom the milk belongs. Moreover, the obligatory precaution is that he should not marry the riḍā‘ī daughters of that woman also. However, there is no objection in marrying the riḍā‘ī daughters of that woman from another husband.

Issue No. 2110- If a woman suckles a child under the conditions that will come later, the husband of that woman to whom the milk is related, does not become maḥram to the sisters of that child, but the recommended precaution is that he should not marry them. Similarly, the relatives of the husband do not become maḥram to the sisters and brothers of the child.

Issue No. 2111- If a woman suckles a child, she does not become maḥram to the brothers of the child, and the relatives of the woman also do not become maḥram to the brothers and sisters of the child.

Issue No. 2112- A person cannot marry a girl suckled fully by that person’s mother, or grandmother. Also, if the wife of one’s father (stepmother) has suckled a child from the milk belonging to his father, he cannot marry that girl.

Issue No. 2113- A person becomes maḥram to a girl suckled fully by his sister or his brother’s wife [by the milk relating to the brother] and he cannot marry her. Similarly, if a child has been suckled by one’s niece (the daughter of one’s brother, or sister), or the granddaughter of one’s brother or sister, he becomes maḥram to that girl and cannot marry her.

Issue No. 2113- A person becomes maḥram to a girl suckled fully by his sister or his brother’s wife [by the milk relating to the brother] and he cannot marry her. Similarly, if a child has been suckled by one’s niece (the daughter of one’s brother, or sister), or the granddaughter of one’s brother or sister, he becomes maḥram to that girl and cannot marry her.

Issue No. 2114- The recommended precaution is that a woman should not fully suckle her own daughter’s child. Similarly, a woman should not fully suckle a child that the husband of her daughter has got from another wife.

Issue No. 2115- There is no problem in a woman suckling the child of her son.

Issue No. 2117- As was said in the previous issue if a child is breastfed by a woman for one day and night, the suckling becomes the cause of being maḥram. In order to become maḥram by suckling it is necessary that the child does not take any food during the one day and night and also does not suck the milk of any other woman. However, if he takes so little food that people do not consider that he has taken food in between, there is no harm in it. Moreover, the child who sucks the milk of one woman fifteen times should not suck the milk of any other woman during these fifteen times, and each time it should suck milk to its fill. Hence, as an obligatory precaution, two times suckling which is incomplete, will be counted neither as two times nor as one.

Issue No. 2118- If a woman suckles several children from the milk of one husband, all of them will be maḥram to one another, and to the woman who has suckled them as well as to her husband. In case a man has more than one wife, and each one of them suckles a child fully, all the children become maḥram to each other as well as to the wives and the husband.