Q 2: Would I be a maternal uncle and Mahram (an unmarriageable relative) to a girl whom my maternal sister breastfed? A: If the girl was breastfed by your sister five times during the first two years after birth, she would become a foster daughter to your sister and you would become a foster maternal uncle to her. When the baby sucks milk from the breast, then leaves it to breathe or move to the second breast or the like, this will count as one occurrence of breastfeeding and so on. It was reported on the authority of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: It was among the revelation of the Qur'an that ten known times of breastfeeding make the marriage prohibited, but this was later abrogated and reduced to five. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) died and the ruling remained effective. Related by Muslim. Allah (Exalted be He) says: Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers to His saying: ...your sister’s daughters The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Milk relationships are equal to blood relationships in rendering marriage unlawful, i.e. whatever is prohibited due to blood relationships is also prohibited by milk relationships. Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhy, Al-Nasa'iy, and Ibn Majah. The five times of breastfeeding make marriage unlawful if they occur in the first two years of the baby's life. Allah (Exalted be He) says: The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years, (that is) for those (parents) who desire to complete the term of suckling The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: (Part No. 21; Page No. 119) Breastfeeding does not make marriage unlawful except when the milk enters the stomach and it occurs before weaning. Related by Al-Tirmidhy who classified it as Hadith Hasan (a Hadith whose chain of narration contains a narrator with weak exactitude, but is free from eccentricity or blemish) and Sahih (good and authentic Hadith). Q 3: A woman married a man and breastfed a girl then got divorced and married three husbands consecutively. Will the girl become a foster-daughter to the latter husbands?

A: If the girl was breastfed by your sister five times during the first two years after birth, she would become a foster daughter to your sister and you would become a foster maternal uncle to her. When the baby sucks milk from the breast, then leaves it to breathe or move to the second breast or the like, this will count as one occurrence of breastfeeding and so on. It was reported on the authority of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: It was among the revelation of the Qur'an that ten known times of breastfeeding make the marriage prohibited, but this was later abrogated and reduced to five. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) died and the ruling remained effective. Related by Muslim. Allah (Exalted be He) says: Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers to His saying: ...your sister’s daughters The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Milk relationships are equal to blood relationships in rendering marriage unlawful, i.e. whatever is prohibited due to blood relationships is also prohibited by milk relationships. Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhy, Al-Nasa'iy, and Ibn Majah. The five times of breastfeeding make marriage unlawful if they occur in the first two years of the baby's life. Allah (Exalted be He) says: The mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years, (that is) for those (parents) who desire to complete the term of suckling The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: (Part No. 21; Page No. 119) Breastfeeding does not make marriage unlawful except when the milk enters the stomach and it occurs before weaning. Related by Al-Tirmidhy who classified it as Hadith Hasan (a Hadith whose chain of narration contains a narrator with weak exactitude, but is free from eccentricity or blemish) and Sahih (good and authentic Hadith). Q 3: A woman married a man and breastfed a girl then got divorced and married three husbands consecutively. Will the girl become a foster-daughter to the latter husbands? A: If breastfeeding occurs in the same way mentioned in the previous answer, the girl becomes a foster-daughter to every husband who has intercourse with her foster mother. Allah (Exalted be He) says: and your step daughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom you have gone in - but there is no sin on you if you have not gone in them (to marry their daughters), Guardianship here is not a prerequisite for the matter. Q 4: Am I considered a Mahram (unmarriageable relative) to the foster mother of my wife? A: If this woman breastfed your wife to the full and this breastfeeding met the conditions we stated in the first answer, you would be one of her Mahrams. Allah (Exalted be He) says: Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers Based on the general meaning of the Ayah (Qur'anic verse), it makes no difference whether you consummated the marriage with your wife (Part No. 21; Page No. 120) after concluding the marriage contract or not.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.