blood kinship; it therefore cannot be said that she is forbidden through blood kinship while her counterpart through breastfeeding is not forbidden. This leaves the biological maternal grandmother of his breastfeeding brother, or the breastfeeding mother of his biological brother: neither has a counterpart through birth, so neither is forbidden to him. This is agreed upon among Muslims. And Allah knows best.

He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was asked:

A boy was breastfed by a woman alongside her own child, receiving one feeding or part of a feeding. She then married another man and bore him a daughter. In these circumstances, may the boy who was breastfed marry that daughter or not?

What is the evidence relied upon by Mālik—may Allah have mercy on him—and Abū Hanīfah for holding that “a single suck” or “a single feeding” establishes a marriage prohibition, given the hadiths recorded by Muslim in his Sahīh? These include the Prophet’s statement, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“Neither one suck nor two establishes a marriage prohibition.”

They also include his statement, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“Neither one suckling nor two establishes a marriage prohibition.”

Another relates that a man from Banū ‘Āmir ibn Sa‘sa‘ah said, “O Messenger of Allah, does a single feeding establish a marriage prohibition?” He replied, “No.”

Another is the report from ‘Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:

“Among what was revealed of the Quran were ten definite breastfeedings that established a marriage prohibition. These were abrogated by five definite breastfeedings. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died while these were still among what was recited of the Quran.”

What is their proof in the face of these authentic hadiths?