Can I Breastfeed My Husband In Islam (Explained)

Can I breastfeed my husband in Islam, is usually a question for Muslim women to be sure they don’t go against the rules of the religion.

Islam is one of the major religions, and the prophet Mohammed is recognized as the servant of Allah they follow the rules and regulations handed down by him, Allah is the supreme god, and Muslims try to keep the laws of Allah given to Prophet Mohammed.

Anyone interested in the teachings of Islam and her prophet Mohammed can also ask whether I can breastfeed my husband in Islam for knowledge’s sake.

Therefore, before I explain more about breastfeeding husbands in Islam, I want to explain that the topic of this article is also related to the discussion of Mahram in Islamic legal literacy and a lot more. Read On…

Table of Contents

Who Are Your Mahrams?

In Islam, a mahram is a member of one’s family with whom marriage is considered illegal or prohibited.

Marriage with such a person is considered haram, from such a person, purdah or the concealment of the body with hijab is not obligatory and if the person is an adult male, she may be escorted by him during a Journey.

Kinds Of Mahrams

There are different ways to become a mahram with another individual, and they form different kinds of mahrams.

1. Mahrams Relations By Blood

People that fall under this category include

  • All direct ancestors
  • All direct relations
  • Siblings
  • Siblings of parents, grandparents, and further antecedents
  • Children and further descendants of siblings

2. Mahrams Relations By Marriage

People under this category become mahrams with someone through the marital institution and they include

  • All ancestors of one’s spouse
  • All the descendants of one’s spouse
  • All who marry a direct descendant

Note: A woman can be allowed to marry her step-father only if the marital union between her mother and her stepfather has not been consummated

3. Mahrams Relations By Breastfeeding Or Rada

One can become mahram with someone if both of them are nursed by the same woman and this includes

  • Foster mother and further female ancestors
  • Foster siblings

Usually, when a woman performs the duties of a wet nurse, that is, someone that breastfeeds another person’s child for a duration of time, and under certain conditions, she becomes the child’s rada mother.

Everything concerning blood mahrams applies like rada father/mother, rada aunt/uncle, etc.

The Concept Of Mahrams

Most relationships are considered mahrams because the prophet Mohammed said, “What I forbid because of kinship is forbidden because of suckling.”

Also, they are considered mahram because they are mentioned in the Quran (An-Nisa 22-23) “And marry not women whom your father married, except what has already passed; indeed it was shameful and most hateful, and an evil way.

Forbidden to you (for marriage) are your daughters, your mothers, your sisters, your paternal aunts,  your maternal aunts, your brother’s daughter, your sister’s daughters, your foster mothers, your sisters from suckling, mothers of your spouses, your stepdaughters from your spouse’s you have entered into them.

But, if you have not entered into them, there is no blame on you, spouses of your sons from your loins, and that you add two sisters except that has passed; indeed, God is forgiving and merciful.

Read Also: Breastfeeding During Ramadan (Explained)

Can I Breastfeed My Husband In Islam?

A woman breastfeeding her husband in Islam is not forbidden since such breastfeeding does not satisfy the conditions for mahram.

Breastfeeding after the first two years does not make one mahram, and of course, the husband is past two years of age. This has always been the opinion of the majority of Islamic scholars.

Of course, women can breastfeed their Husbands on the condition that they don’t hurt the wife and don’t harm the baby. That is, they shouldn’t overdo it, according to Ustaz Ansari Taslim, Lc.

Most scholars’ views are stronger based on the argument, among the rest noted by Prophet Muhammad SAW. As noted by Al-Bukhari and Muslims, the milk (which makes it haram) is only when you feel hungry.

That is to say, those who breastfeed make milk their staple food. Of course, this is only done by babies still nursing; it is very difficult for husbands to make women’s milk a staple food.

Another hadith from Umm Salamah RA, Rasulullah SAW, noted, “Susuan is not prohibited unless it passes through the intestine and when it is not weaned” (HR. At-Tirmidzi, no. 1152).

That is, if the baby is weaned, the next breastfeeding session does not make it prohibited for him to marry his breastfeeder.

Breastfeeding doesn’t occur (which makes marriage haram) except at the age of two, according to Ibn Abbas (From Amr bin Dinar from Ibn Abbas, History of Abdurrazzaq in the book Al-Mushannaf chap 7 p. 465 from Ibn Uyainah).

Ibn Masud referenced the same statement about a husband who drank his wife’s milk, and then he asked Abu Musa Al-Asyari.

Abu Musa told him that his wife was haram because of that, but that was corrected by Ibn Masud, by saying the same thing as Ibn Abbas’s statement above.

Later on, Abu Musa withdrew his statement saying, “Don’t ask me if this scholar (Ibn Masud) is still in your midst.” (Based on the history book of Al-Muwaththa` by Imam Malik, Ar-Radha, Chpt: Jami Maa Jaa`A Fii Ar-Radhaah, no. 1290).

The same situation was claimed by Umar bin Al-Kahthab RA when a man spoke out that he had sexual intercourse with his slave girl, then his wife breastfed the slave girl asking, “By Allah, now that I have breastfed my slave, is it is haram me….”

But it happens that Umar instead suggested to this man you can make a relationship with her because she is still your slave (but of recently, this is not allowed to make the relationship you’re your slaves or servants) Susuan is only haram if (the one who is breastfeeding) is still young” according to history mentioned by Imam Malik in the book Al-Muwaththa`, no. 1289).

From the entire story above, it is crystal clear that if someone who is an adult breastfeeds a woman, it does not affect her except for an emergency, like in the case of Sahlah bint Suhail.

She complained to Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam about the challenges of wearing a hijab from her husband Salim, who is the former slave of Abu Hudzaifah. Who Rasulullah SAW gave a solution, “Milk him (Salim) and he will become your mahram.”

Some scholars, such as Daud Azh-Zhahiri and his followers, still believe that breastfeeding makes marriage haram even if breastfeeding is an adult.

Read Also: Can Husband Touch Wife Breast in Ramadan

Does Breastfeeding One’s Husband Make Them Mahram?

Breastfeeding in Islam prohibits marriage and creates a relationship of mahram.

Still, certain conditions should be met before a mahram relationship is established between a nursing woman and the one that suckled her breast.

  • Breastfeeding must happen within the first two years of a child’s life because the words of Allah were interpreted thus “Their mothers shall give suck to their children for two whole years, (that is) for those (parents) who desire to complete the terms of suckling (al-Baqarah 2:233).
  • The number of breastfeeding must total the known five feeds, in which the child eats his fill as if eating and drinking. If the child leaves the breast for a reason, such as to take a breath or to switch from one breast to the other, this is not counted as breastfeeding. This is the idea of al-Shaafa’I, which was recommended by ibn al-Qayyim. The explanation of rad’ah (that is one breastfeeding) is when the nursing baby sucks at the breast, drinks the milk until it enters the stomach, and then he leaves the breast of his own accord.

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I hope this article has answered one of the important questions that all Muslims, especially married ones, should know, can I breastfeed my husband in Islam and much more?

Breastfeeding of one’s husband in Islam is permitted because breastfeeding does not create the relationship of mahram except when it is within the first two whole years, and anything after the first two years does not initiate any such relationship.

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