'A'isha (Allah be pleased with, her) reported that it had been revealed in the Holy Qur'an that ten clear sucklings make the marriage unlawful, then it was abrogated (and substituted) by five sucklings and Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) died and it was before that time (found) in the Holy Qur'an (and recited by the Muslims).
The Book of Suckling - Sahih Muslim 1452a
This narration from the Mother of the Believers, 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her), addresses the legal rulings concerning radā'ah (suckling) and its effect on establishing mahram relationships.
Textual Analysis
The hadith indicates that the original Qur'anic ruling specified ten complete sucklings as establishing the prohibition of marriage, which was subsequently abrogated and reduced to five sucklings.
This occurred during the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ), and the verse containing five sucklings remained in recitation until his passing, demonstrating the principle of naskh (abrogation) in Islamic legislation.
Juridical Implications
The consensus of scholars holds that this specific Qur'anic text was ultimately abrogated in both recitation and ruling, with the established position being that what establishes the mahram relationship through suckling is what satisfies the infant's hunger, regardless of a specific number.
This abrogation illustrates the wisdom of Islamic law in gradually implementing rulings and Allah's mercy in easing legislation for the ummah.
Scholarly Commentary
Imam An-Nawawi comments that this hadith proves the occurrence of abrogation in the Qur'an and that some verses were revealed but later removed from the mus'haf while their rulings remained, or vice versa.
Ibn Qayyim elaborates that this demonstrates the developmental nature of Islamic legislation, where rulings were progressively refined to establish the most beneficial laws for the Muslim community.