'Aishah Breastfed Grown Men

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حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ رَضَاعَةِ الْكَبِيرِ، فَقَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ أَبَا حُذَيْفَةَ بْنَ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ، وَكَانَ، مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَكَانَ قَدْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا وَكَانَ تَبَنَّى سَالِمًا الَّذِي يُقَالُ لَهُ سَالِمٌ مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ كَمَا تَبَنَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم زَيْدَ بْنَ حَارِثَةَ وَأَنْكَحَ أَبُو حُذَيْفَةَ سَالِمًا وَهُوَ يَرَى أَنَّهُ ابْنُهُ أَنْكَحَهُ بِنْتَ أَخِيهِ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ وَهِيَ يَوْمَئِذٍ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرَاتِ الأُوَلِ وَهِيَ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ أَيَامَى قُرَيْشٍ فَلَمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي كِتَابِهِ فِي زَيْدِ بْنِ حَارِثَةَ مَا أَنْزَلَ فَقَالَ ‏{‏ادْعُوهُمْ لآبَائِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا آبَاءَهُمْ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَمَوَالِيكُمْ‏}‏ رُدَّ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أُولَئِكَ إِلَى أَبِيهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يُعْلَمْ أَبُوهُ رُدَّ إِلَى مَوْلاَهُ فَجَاءَتْ سَهْلَةُ بِنْتُ سُهَيْلٍ وَهِيَ امْرَأَةُ أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ وَهِيَ مِنْ بَنِي عَامِرِ بْنِ لُؤَىٍّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كُنَّا نَرَى سَالِمًا وَلَدًا وَكَانَ يَدْخُلُ عَلَىَّ وَأَنَا فُضُلٌ وَلَيْسَ لَنَا إِلاَّ بَيْتٌ وَاحِدٌ فَمَاذَا تَرَى فِي شَأْنِهِ فَقَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ أَرْضِعِيهِ خَمْسَ رَضَعَاتٍ فَيَحْرُمُ بِلَبَنِهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَكَانَتْ تَرَاهُ ابْنًا مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ فَأَخَذَتْ بِذَلِكَ عَائِشَةُ أُمُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِيمَنْ كَانَتْ تُحِبُّ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الرِّجَالِ فَكَانَتْ تَأْمُرُ أُخْتَهَا أُمَّ كُلْثُومٍ بِنْتَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ وَبَنَاتِ أَخِيهَا أَنْ يُرْضِعْنَ مَنْ أَحَبَّتْ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَأَبَى سَائِرُ أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يَدْخُلَ عَلَيْهِنَّ بِتِلْكَ الرَّضَاعَةِ أَحَدٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَقُلْنَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا نَرَى الَّذِي أَمَرَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَهْلَةَ بِنْتَ سُهَيْلٍ إِلاَّ رُخْصَةً مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي رَضَاعَةِ سَالِمٍ وَحْدَهُ لاَ وَاللَّهِ لاَ يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْنَا بِهَذِهِ الرَّضَاعَةِ أَحَدٌ فَعَلَى هَذَا كَانَ أَزْوَاجُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي رَضَاعَةِ الْكَبِيرِ ‏.‏

Yahya narrated to me from Malik, from Ibn Shihab, that he was asked about the breastfeeding of an adult. He said, "Urwah ibn al-Zubayr informed me that Abu Hudhayfa ibn 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, who was one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and who had witnessed Badr, had adopted Salim, who was known as Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfa, just as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had adopted Zayd ibn Harithah. Abu Hudhayfa had married Salim to his niece, Fatimah bint al-Walid ibn 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, who was one of the early emigrants and one of the most honorable women of Quraysh.

When Allah the Exalted revealed in His Book concerning Zayd ibn Harithah what He revealed (i.e., 'Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah. But if you do not know their fathers, then [they are still] your brothers in religion and those entrusted to you'), everyone who had been adopted was returned to their fathers, and if the father was not known, they were returned to their masters.

Then Sahlah bint Suhayl, who was the wife of Abu Hudhayfa and from the Banu Amir ibn Lu'ayy, came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, we used to consider Salim as our son, and he used to enter upon me while I was in a state of partial dress, and we only have one house. What do you advise concerning him?' The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to her, 'Breastfeed him five times, and he will become prohibited (as a foster child) through that milk.' She continued to view him as a foster son through breastfeeding.

Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, adopted this practice for those whom she wished to enter upon her among men. She used to instruct her sister, Umm Kulthum bint Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, and her nieces to breastfeed those men whom Aisha wanted to enter upon her. However, the rest of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) refused to allow anyone to enter upon them through such breastfeeding. They said, 'By Allah, we do not see what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed Sahlah bint Suhayl to do with Salim as anything but a special concession from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding Salim alone. By Allah, no one will enter upon us through this type of breastfeeding.' This was the position of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the breastfeeding of an adult.

Muwatta Malik Book 30, Hadith 1287 Book 30, Hadith 12