Can the siblings of a child that sucks milk from a woman marry the children of that woman?

- Can a man marry the daughter of his sister's wet nurse?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Yes, he can. For, only the person who sucks milk becomes relatives with the others through his wet nurse. The siblings of a girl that sucks milk from a woman do not become relatives with the others. Accordingly, a person can marry the milk sisters of his sister or their daughters.    

When a child who is at the age of breastfeeding sucks milk from the breast of a woman, he/she becomes milk brothers /sisters of with the children of that woman. Brotherhood/sisterhood occurs even if he/she sucks very little.  

According to Abu Hanifa, the age of breastfeeding is thirty months (two and a half years). According to Imam Muhammad and Abu Yusuf, it is twenty-four months (two years). If a child sucks milk after this age, he/she does not become milk brothers /sisters of with the children of that woman no matter how much/long he/she sucks. 

For instance, a mother has a newborn son and another mother has a newborn daughter. If this girl sucks from the other woman, does she become a milk sister of the boy she sucked in the same period or also with the woman's older sons?  

There is a general rule regarding the issue: “The child who sucks from a woman becomes haram for the children (and grandchildren) of the woman.” That is the child becomes haram for all the children and grandchildren of the woman.

Accordingly, the other siblings of the child who sucks from a woman can marry the children of the woman. For, only the child that sucks from her becomes her milk child. The siblings of the child can marry her children since they are not her milk children.

Questions on Islam