Prohibition is Not Brought About Except by Five Breast-feedings

Question :

I was breast-fed by a woman three times, one breast- feeding each day in a different sitting. Am I a brother to the son of the woman who breast-fed me or not? Advise us and may Allah reward you.

Answer:

These three breast-feedings do not bring about the prohibition of breast-feeding. The prohibition of breast- feeding is only incurred by five breast-feedings or more. This is based upon the saying of the Prophet ﷺ:
"Neither one breast-feeding nor two causes prohibition."

And, the report confirmed from 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, in which she said: "It was revealed in the Qur'ân that ten known breast-feedings caused prohibition, then it was abrogated by five known breast-feedings. Then the Prophet ﷺ died and the matter remained thus." Narrated by Muslim in his

Sahih, and At-Tirmithi in his Jami' [Sunan], and this is his wording.

Breast-feeding means that the child takes the breast and swallows the milk, even if he did not drink his fill after a long time. Once he becomes detached from it, that is one breast- feeding. Then if he returns and takes the breast again and sucks milk from it, that is a second breast-feeding and so on. This is also based upon the condition that the child is in the first two years of life, according to the saying of the Prophet ﷺ :

"There is no breast-feeding, except in the (first) two years."

And his ﷺ saying:
"Breast-feeding is only from hunger (i.e. in infancy)."

And Allah is the Granter of success.