Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2647
sahih

Narrated Aisha:

Once the Prophet (ﷺ) came to me while a man was in my house. He said, "O `Aisha! Who is this (man)?" I replied, "My foster brothers" He said, "O `Aisha! Be sure about your foster brothers, as fostership is only valid if it takes place in the suckling period (before two years of age).

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَشْعَثَ بْنِ أَبِي الشَّعْثَاءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَعِنْدِي رَجُلٌ، قَالَ ‏"‏ يَا عَائِشَةُ مَنْ هَذَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ أَخِي مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ يَا عَائِشَةُ، انْظُرْنَ مَنْ إِخْوَانُكُنَّ، فَإِنَّمَا الرَّضَاعَةُ مِنَ الْمَجَاعَةِ ‏"‏‏.‏ تَابَعَهُ ابْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 52, Hadith 11
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 3, Book 48, Hadith 815 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Islam decreed that breastfeeding should create a bond (i.e., milk kinship) similar to blood relationships and forbids exactly the same which is forbidden due to blood kinship. This is provided that the relevant conditions of nursing are fulfilled, one of which is that the nursed infant is under two years of age. In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that once the Prophet ﷺcame to her house to find a man was therein. His name was not mentioned by the narrators, but it is possible that he was the son of Aboo Al-Qu‘s. He ﷺ said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Who is this (man)?" She (may Allah be pleased with her) replied that he was her milk-brother. Thereupon, he ﷺ said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Be sure about your milk brothers, as milk kinship is only valid if it takes place in the suckling period (i.e., before two years of age).” This means that one should carefully ensure that the due conditions for the validity of milk kinship are met, one of which is nursing the infant before two years of age, because it is one of the conditions for the validity of nursing, without which the milk kinship is not established as per the laws of Islam. Not all the infants one’s mother nurses become his or her milk-siblings; milk kinship is only established when the nursed infant is below the age of two. Breastfeeding is only valid (i.e., establishes milk kinship) when the infant’s only food is milk, i.e., under the age of two, otherwise it is invalid. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period].} [Quran 2:233]. This is the condition for the validity of the breastfeeding that establishes milk kinship; the nursed infant must be below the age of two, when the infant’s only food is milk. After the child is weaned, breastfeeding no longer establishes milk kinship. It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable for a milk-brother to visit his milk-sister and stay alone with her..
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