The ruling of the doubted suckling

The ruling of the doubted feeding Q. I proposed to a girl four years ago and the marriage ceremony was subsequently completed but I have not legally consummated the marriage. This year one of my sisters declared that she suckled this girl but she doesn’t remember the number of feedings due to the passing of a long time, approximately twenty years. So is it permissible for me to marry this girl?

A. The marriage contract that was concluded with this woman is correct; nothing invalidates this contract except with definite evidence. As for the doubted suckling or its doubted number, this does not have any effect, due to the Hadeeth of ‘Aaisha: “There was from that revealed of the Qur’aan: (Ten accounted feedings make forbidden). Then it was abrogated to five accounted feedings.”

The describing of the five feedings as being accounted indicates that it is obligatory to have firm knowledge of their occurrence and number. If the suckling mother has doubts as to whether she suckled a specific child or not, or she doubts whether five feedings were completed or not, then this suckling has no effect. Based upon this the marriage that you contracted with this woman is not affected by the declaration of your sister.

Sheikh Ibn Uthaimeen [Fataawa Islaamiyyah: 3/347]