Book of Suckling (al-Rada').
The foundation for prohibition through suckling is the Book (Quran), the Sunnah, and scholarly consensus (ijma'). As for the Book, it is the saying of Allah the Almighty: "...your mothers who suckled you, and your sisters through suckling" (1). Allah, Glory be to Him, mentioned them among the prohibited women. As for the Sunnah, it is what Aisha narrated, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Suckling prohibits what lineage prohibits." Agreed upon (3). In another wording: "That which is prohibited by lineage is prohibited by suckling." Narrated by al-Nasa'i (3). From Ibn Abbas, he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said regarding the daughter of Hamzah: "She is not lawful for me; that which is prohibited by lineage is prohibited by suckling, and she is the daughter of my brother through suckling." Agreed upon (3). There are many reports; we will mention most of them, if Allah the Almighty wills, throughout the chapter. The scholars of the Ummah reached a consensus on the prohibition through suckling. Once this is established, the prohibition of the mother and sister is established by the text of the Book, and the prohibition of the daughter is established by implication; for if the sister is prohibited, the daughter is more entitled to be so. The rest of the prohibited women had their prohibition established by the Sunnah. Mahramiyyah (status of a prohibited relative) is also established, as it is a corollary to the prohibition when it occurs for a permissible reason. As for the remaining rulings of lineage—such as financial support, manumission, rejection of testimony, and others—they do not attach to it, because lineage is stronger than it. Therefore, it is not compared to it in all of its rulings; rather, it is only likened to it in matters where the text has explicitly stated so.
1367 - Issue: Abu al-Qasim, may Allah have mercy on him, said: (And the suckling that is undisputed in its prohibition is five sucklings or more).
(1) Surah al-Nisa': 23. (2) In [A], [B], and [M]: "dhakarahuma" (He mentioned them both). (3) The authentication has been previously provided in: 9/513, 519, 520.
