Does the suckling of a menopausal woman who produces milk after the death of her husband have an effect on an infant?
The prohibition [of marriage due to fosterage] is established by breastfeeding if milk is produced by a woman and she breastfeeds a child with it, regardless of whether she is young or old, married or unmarried. For fosterage to be proscribed, the child must be breastfed five times within two years [of birth], and what issues from the woman must be nourishing milk, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "There is no fosterage except what strengthens the bone and grows flesh." However, if water rather than milk issues from her, it does not affect the prohibition.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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