Is it permissible to marry one's paternal uncle's daughter if the grandmother (the paternal grandfather's wife) breastfed her grandson three satisfying times: the first, then the second after an hour, and the third after two hours, knowing that each breastfeeding consisted of more than five separate sucks, taking into account that the breastfeedings must be separate, and that Istikhara was performed and comfort was felt for this marriage?
Scholars differed concerning the number of sucklings that establish mahramiyyah (prohibition of marriage due to fosterage). The Hanafis, Malikis, and Hanbalis (in one narration) held that mahramiyyah is established by a single suckling. The Shafi'is and the Hanbalis (according to the soundest opinion in their school) stipulated five sucklings for mahramiyyah to be established. This is the opinion adopted for fatwa by us. If there is doubt about the suckling or its number, mahramiyyah is not established. It is also stipulated that the sucklings must be distinct. Based on this, mahramiyyah is not established by this suckling according to the adopted madhhab for fatwa. However, it is more cautious to refrain from marrying your paternal cousin, out of consideration for the schools of thought that uphold mahramiyyah by any suckling.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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