Does Giving a Few Sips of Milk Establish a Foster Relationship ?

Conditions for Establishing Rada’a (Foster Relationship) in Islam

Question: A woman has given a few sips of milk to someone else’s child. Now, she wants her brother to marry that girl. Does giving a few sips of milk establish the foster relationship (Rada’a)?

Answer: Giving a few sips of milk does not establish a foster relationship (Rada’a). There are two conditions for Rada’a to be established. The first condition is that the child must be breastfed five times until full. The second condition is that the breastfeeding must occur within the period of Rada’a, which is within two years. If either of these conditions is not met, Rada’a is not established. In the mentioned case, since the woman wants her brother to marry the girl to whom she has given a few sips of milk, there is no issue with this marriage because the woman’s breastfeeding does not affect her brother. Moreover, the woman has not breastfed the girl to the extent required to establish Rada’a, so Rada’a is not established.

✍ Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi

❪Jeddah Dawah Center – Al-Salamah – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia❫