Book: Breast-feeding

Whatever is unlawful through blood-relations is likewise unlawful through breast-feeding. The bond that establishes this prohibition is five distinct nursings within the first two lunar years; the milk of a deceased woman, or of one who was cohabited with under a mistaken assumption of permissibility, counts like any other, but not the milk of an animal, nor that of a woman who has never conceived (1).

Once the requisite nursings have taken place, the wet-nurse becomes the child’s mother for purposes of marriage, permissible gaze, seclusion, and maḥram-status. Her children are the child’s brothers and sisters, as are the children of her husband; the brothers (2) and sisters of them both become the child’s paternal uncles and aunts (3), and his maternal uncles and aunts, and so on.

The wet-nurse herself remains lawful for the nursling’s father and for the nursling’s brother by blood; likewise, the nursling’s mother and sister by blood remain lawful for the wet-nurse’s milk-father and milk-brother.

If a man admits that his wife is his milk-sister, the marriage is annulled. If she confirms his claim, no mahr is due before consummation; if she denies it, half the mahr is due, and after consummation the full amount. If she is the one who makes the claim and he denies it (4), she remains his wife according to the law. The testimony of a single upright woman is sufficient to establish breast-feeding, and if there is doubt as to whether it occurred, or whether the full number of nursings was completed, no prohibition is established.