Fatwa ID: 07285

 

 

Answered by: Maulana Ubaidur Rahman

 

Question:

 

A woman has let her nephew (her brother’s son) drink her breast milk. Should this nephew also get a share when she divides her possessions to her own children?

 

Should this nephew also share in her legacy?

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

قليل الرضاع وكثيره سواء إذا حصل في مدة الرضاع تعلق به التحريم

 

ومدة الرضاع عند أبي حنيفة ثلاثون شهرا وقال أبو يوسف ومحمد: سنتان فإذا مضت مدة الرضاع لم يتعلق بالرضاع تحريم[2]

 

بَابُ تَوْرِيثِ ذَوِي الْأَرْحَامِ (هُوَ كُلُّ قَرِيبٍ لَيْسَ بِذِي سَهْمٍ وَلَا عَصَبَةٍ) فَهُوَ قِسْمٌ ثَالِثٌ حِينَئِذٍ (وَلَا يَرِثُ مَعَ ذِي سَهْمٍ وَلَا عَصَبَةٍ سِوَى الزَّوْجَيْنِ) لِعَدَمِ الرَّدِّ عَلَيْهِمَا (فَيَأْخُذُ الْمُنْفَرِدُ جَمِيعَ الْمَالِ[3])

 

Relationships established through suckling do not form a strong enough basis to inherit. The ruling regarding marriage is different as the children who suckled from the same person may not get married as they are joined together from the same breasts. However, the ruling regarding inheritance is that the suckler may not be automatically qualified as the people who are, to inherit from the breastfeeder’s legacy. Separate rules will apply if it is stated in her will for example that he receive a certain allocated portion, but that is not in relation to her breastfeeding him from before, that will only be allocated in accordance from her will, which can stand up to the maximum amount of  1/3 of her assets.

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by: Maulana Ubaidur Rahman.

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah.

Darul Ifta Birmingham.

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Mukhtasar al Quduri, page 152, Maktabatul Bushra.

 

 

[2] Raddul Muhtaar, page 791, volume 6, Maktabatul Bushra