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Can a non-Muslim Woman Breastfeed or Foster a Muslim Child?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by DarulIftaBirmingham

Answered by: Maulana Moinul Abu Hamza

Question

Can a non-Muslim woman breastfeed or foster a Muslim child? If yes, will she be called a foster mom?

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

Answer:

There is no prohibition stated, so there is nothing prohibiting one from using a non-Muslim for breastfeeding providing the issue of mahram is considered.

In relation to this, we have something called a milk mother. In the Qur’an we have the ayah, “And your mothers who breast-fed you…” [Quran 4:23]. This makes breastfeeding a means of forming a mahram relationship without restriction to the number of times it took place. Mufti Taqi Usmani states that mahram relations are established by “little or much”.[1]

Also, it is important to note that if a child older than thirty months is breastfed; no fostering relationship will be established.[2]

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Moinul Abu Hamza

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 


[1] Usmani, Sharh Sahih al-Imam Muslim

[2] Raddul Muhtar p.421 v.4

This answer was collected from DarulIftaBirmingham.co.uk, which is run under the supervision of Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah from the United Kingdom.

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