hold that any intercourse that did not establish a child’s paternity did not establish a marriage prohibition through the resulting milk—meaning through the man responsible for its production. He later revised his position, holding that it did establish such a prohibition. Sahnūn adopted this view and said: “I know of none among our scholars who held that it does not establish a prohibition except ‘Abd al-Malik, and this is a manifest error. Indeed, ‘the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed Sawda to observe hijab before a child whose paternity he attributed to her father, because he saw the child’s resemblance to ‘Utba.’”
Ibn al-Mawwāz said: “If a woman nurses a boy with milk resulting from fornication, he becomes her son through breastfeeding, but not the son of the man who committed fornication with her. If the nursed child were a girl and that man married her, I would not rule that their marriage be annulled. I would prefer, however, that he refrain from it, without declaring it forbidden. As for his own daughter born of fornication, he must not marry her, even though Ibn al-Mājishūn permitted it. The reprehensibility of this is clear, for ‘the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sawda concerning the child whose paternity he attributed to her father: “Observe hijab before him,” because he saw the child’s resemblance to ‘Utba.’ How, then, could ‘Utba marry that child had it been a girl?”
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A marriage prohibition is established through the milk of a virgin or an elderly woman who has never given birth, even if it is produced without intercourse, provided that it is milk and not a yellowish fluid unlike milk. Nursing from a man, however, does not establish a marriage prohibition, even if he has milk—though I do not think this occurs. Mālik rejected this, saying: “Only hypocritical people relate such things.”
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It is recommended that a mother nurse her child, for it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“No milk with which a child is nursed brings greater blessing to the child than its mother’s milk.”
For this reason, a divorced mother has a prior right to nurse her child for the same payment that another woman would receive. Employing Jewish or Christian wet nurses is disliked, for fear that they might feed the children unlawful food or give them wine to drink. Ibn Habīb related from Mālik: “If there is no fear of that, there is no harm in it.”
One should avoid having children nursed by foolish women or women of objectionable character, for it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“Breastfeeding transmits traits of character.”
‘Abd al-Malik said: “For this reason, the Arabs used to have their children nursed among families known for generosity, faithfulness, courage, or similar noble qualities.”
Success comes through Allah, and He is the Guide to the straightest path.