A young boy who is at the threshold of puberty comes to you. I, however, do not like that he should come to me, whereupon 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) said: Don't you see in Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) a model for you? She also said: The wife of Abu Hudhaifa said: Messenger of Allah, Salim comes to me and now he is a (grown-up) person, and there is something that (rankles) in the mind of Abu Hudhaifa about him, whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Suckle him (so that he may become your foster-child), and thus he may be able to come to you (freely).
The Book of Suckling - Sahih Muslim 1453 d
This narration from the Mother of the Believers 'A'isha and Umm Salim demonstrates the legal ruling concerning foster relationships through suckling. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) instructed that suckling establishes mahram relationships, thereby removing restrictions between foster relatives.
Scholarly Commentary
The hadith establishes that even a single suckling from a woman establishes permanent foster relationship, making her the foster mother and her children foster siblings. This ruling applies regardless of age, as demonstrated by Salim being a grown man.
The wisdom behind this ruling preserves modesty and prevents potential fitnah. Through suckling, the same prohibitions that apply to blood relatives apply to foster relatives, thus maintaining proper boundaries in household interactions.
Legal Implications
This hadith forms the foundation for Islamic fosterage laws. Once suckling occurs, marriage becomes permanently prohibited between the foster mother and her children with the suckled person, and between foster siblings.
Scholars differ on the minimum number of sucklings required, with the majority position being five distinct sucklings based on other authentic narrations. However, this hadith demonstrates the principle's validity.