Does Breastfeeding an Adopted Baby Make Them a Mahram, and Would They Become a Mahram to One’s Biological Children as Well?
Question
If one adopts a baby, if you were to breastfeed the baby would that baby now become your muhrum and is this allowed? Would that baby also become your biological children’s muhrum too?
Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.
1. The Shar‘i Context
Islam distinguishes between adoption (caring for a child) and nasab (biological lineage).
Adoption in the sense of caring, raising, protecting, and loving a child is encouraged, but it does not create blood ties or mahram relationships by itself.
However, radha‘ah (breastfeeding) does create a permanent mahram relationship provided certain Shar‘i conditions are met. This relationship becomes exactly like the bond of biological family in terms of marriage rules and hijab requirements.
2. When Breastfeeding Creates a Mahram Relationship
Breastfeeding creates a mahram bond when:
- The child is under two lunar years old, and
- The child consumes five separate feeds (according to the Shafii and Hanbali positions), or a significant amount that establishes nourishment (Hanafi and Maliki interpretations).
If these conditions are met, then:
- The woman becomes a milk-mother (umm ar-rada‘ah).
- Her husband becomes a milk-father.
- The child becomes a milk-son or milk-daughter.
- All normal rules of mahram relationships apply (hijab, marriage prohibition, etc.).
3. Does the Adopted Child Become a Mahram to the Adoptive Mother?
Yes.
If the adoptive mother breastfeeds the child under the proper Shar‘i conditions, the child becomes her mahram permanently, just like a biological child in terms of hijab and marriage rulings.
She does not need hijab in front of him later in life.
He cannot marry her daughters from milk or her biological daughters.
He becomes her milk-son.
4. Does the Adopted Child Become a Mahram to the Adoptive Father?
Yes.
If the breastfeeding occurs while the adoptive mother is married, her husband becomes the child’s milk-father.
The child is then a mahram to both spouses.
5. Does the Adopted Child Become a Mahram to the Biological Children?
Yes.
The adoptive mother’s biological children become the child’s:
- Milk-siblings (ikhwah min ar-rada‘ah),
and the rules of mahram relationships apply exactly as they would for biological siblings.
This means:
- They do not need to wear hijab from one another.
- They can never marry each other.
The milk relationship is treated like blood kinship in these rulings.
6. Relevant Usul Principle
يثبت بالرضاع ما يثبت بالنسب
Whatever is established by lineage is established through breastfeeding.
This principle means that a valid breastfeeding relationship creates nearly the same legal consequences as biological family ties.
7. Final Ruling
If a woman breastfeeds an adopted baby under two years old with the required amount, then:
- The baby becomes her mahram as a milk-child.
- The baby becomes the mahram of her husband as a milk-father.
- The baby becomes the mahram of all her biological children as milk-siblings.
This is fully allowed and recognized in Islamic law.
And Allah knows best.