How does breastfeeding (rada'ah) create relationships that forbid marriage?

Islam establishes 'milk kinship': a woman who breastfeeds an infant becomes his milk-mother, and her husband his milk-father, so that marriage between the child and them and their relatives becomes forbidden just as with blood relatives. The Quran lists among the forbidden women 'your mothers who nursed you and your milk-sisters,' and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that breastfeeding makes unlawful what birth makes unlawful. The majority hold this only takes effect when the nursing occurs within the first two years of the child's life. There is some scholarly discussion over the number of feedings required — 'A'ishah reported that the recognised ruling settled on five satisfying feedings — but the principle of the prohibition itself is firmly agreed upon.

Ask your own question → All questions