Why is liability for *mahr* based on the number of sucklings rather than being equal if multiple parties cause the invalidation?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Fosterage (Breastfeeding)
Primary text
Liability for *mahr* is apportioned according to the number of sucklings because the prohibition is intrinsically linked to the count of sucklings, making the recompense dependent on that count. This differs from general impurity (like throwing filth into a liquid), where the act of contamination is achieved equally whether little or much is used, thus the degree of pollution is not dependent on the measure.
Supporting text
The analogy confirms this: if one person causes more liquid to be consumed in one suckling instance than another, the liability follows the greater consumption, mirroring the dependence on the number of sucklings causing the prohibition.