What is the minimum number of sucklings required to establish the prohibition of suckling?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Fosterage (Breastfeeding)
Primary text
The correct view within the madhhab is that five sucklings or more establish the prohibition. This view is narrated from Aisha, Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Zubayr, 'Ata', and Tawus, and it is the position of Ash-Shafi'i. This view is supported by the hadith concerning 'Uqbah ibn al-Harith, where the Prophet, peace be upon him, accepted the claim of prohibition upon hearing that the woman had suckled both parties, questioning how that could be if she claimed to have suckled them. This ruling, concerning an action that establishes perpetual prohibition, is not dependent on a specific number, similar to the prohibition concerning mothers of wives, nor does it necessitate Li'an (mutual cursing).
Supporting text
There is a second narration attributed to Ahmad that both little and much suckling prohibit, narrated from 'Ali, Ibn 'Abbas, Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, Al-Hasan, Makhul, Az-Zuhri, Qatadah, Al-Hakam, Hammad, Malik, Al-Awza'i, Ath-Thawri, Al-Layth, and the Ashab ar-Ra'y. They argue using Quran 4:23 and the hadith "What is prohibited by lineage is prohibited by suckling." A third narration holds that prohibition is only established by three sucklings, supported by Abu Thawr, Abu 'Ubayd, Dawud, and Ibn al-Mundhir, based on the hadith stating that one or two sucks do not prohibit. A narration from Hafsah and Aisha suggests prohibition is not established below ten sucklings, citing a narration regarding Sahla bint Suhail where the Prophet instructed her to suckle her son ten times for the prohibition to take effect. The justification for the five sucklings view stems from Aisha's report that the Quran initially stated "ten specified sucklings prohibit," which was then abrogated to five, and this was the ruling upon the Prophet's passing.