Short answer
Yes, it is permissible and can be a great kindness, but it creates a milk relationship. In the Hanafi school even one feed within the baby's first two years makes you the baby's milk mother, so the families must remember and record it. Hanafi scholars advise women not to nurse other babies without a real need.
Nursing another woman's baby is permissible. Any amount within two lunar years creates milk kinship that forbids marriage. Because of this, women should not nurse every baby without need, and when they do, they should remember it, make it known and write it down, as Ibn Abidin states.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Milk kinship needs five separate full feeds within two years.
- Hanbali
- Milk kinship needs five separate feeds within two years.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ was himself nursed by women other than his mother, Thuwaybah and Halimah, and he said that Thuwaybah nursed both him and Abu Salamah. Nursing by a wet nurse was normal in his time, and the Quran mentions it. So the act is permissible. What matters are the effects.
What changes when you nurse a baby:
- You become the baby's milk mother, your husband the milk father, and your children the baby's milk siblings, who can never marry the baby.
- Only the nursed baby becomes related to your family, not the baby's siblings. See milk kinship.
- Nursing after two years has no effect.
Good practice:
- Have a real reason: the mother is ill, absent, has no milk, or the baby needs it.
- Tell both families and write it down, with the date and number of feeds. Many problems come from a forgotten feed years later.
- Talk with your husband first, since he becomes the baby's milk father.
- Donor milk banks that pool milk from unknown women raise the same issue; ask a mufti before using them.
Some families use nursing on purpose to make an adopted baby mahram; see is an adopted child mahram. For a mother's own duty to nurse see does a mother have to breastfeed.
The evidence
Quran, Surah An-Nisaa 4:23
حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهَٰتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَٰتُكُمْ وَعَمَّٰتُكُمْ وَخَٰلَٰتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُ ٱلْأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ ٱلْأُخْتِ وَأُمَّهَٰتُكُمُ ٱلَّٰتِىٓ أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَٰتُكُم مِّنَ ٱلرَّضَٰعَةِ وَأُمَّهَٰتُ نِسَآئِكُمْ وَرَبَٰٓئِبُكُمُ ٱلَّٰتِى فِى حُجُورِكُم مِّن نِّسَآئِكُمُ ٱلَّٰتِى دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَإِن لَّمْ تَكُونُوا۟ دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَحَلَٰٓئِلُ أَبْنَآئِكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلَٰبِكُمْ وَأَن تَجْمَعُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلْأُخْتَيْنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا ﴿٢٣﴾
Prohibited to you [for marriage] are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters, your [milk] mothers who nursed you, your sisters through nursing, your wives' mothers, and your step-daughters under your guardianship [born] of your wives unto whom you have gone in. But if you have not gone in unto them, there is no sin upon you. And [also prohibited are] the wives of your sons who are from your [own] loins, and that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously, except for what has already occurred. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
Nursing creates relationships that forbid marriage.
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:233
۞ وَٱلْوَٰلِدَٰتُ يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلَٰدَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنِ كَامِلَيْنِ ۖ لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يُتِمَّ ٱلرَّضَاعَةَ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱلْمَوْلُودِ لَهُۥ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ لَا تُكَلَّفُ نَفْسٌ إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَا تُضَآرَّ وَٰلِدَةٌۢ بِوَلَدِهَا وَلَا مَوْلُودٌۭ لَّهُۥ بِوَلَدِهِۦ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱلْوَارِثِ مِثْلُ ذَٰلِكَ ۗ فَإِنْ أَرَادَا فِصَالًا عَن تَرَاضٍۢ مِّنْهُمَا وَتَشَاوُرٍۢ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا ۗ وَإِنْ أَرَدتُّمْ أَن تَسْتَرْضِعُوٓا۟ أَوْلَٰدَكُمْ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذَا سَلَّمْتُم مَّآ ءَاتَيْتُم بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۗ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌۭ ﴿٢٣٣﴾
Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period]. Upon the father is the mothers' provision and their clothing according to what is acceptable. No person is charged with more than his capacity. No mother should be harmed through her child, and no father through his child. And upon the [father's] heir is [a duty] like that [of the father]. And if they both desire weaning through mutual consent from both of them and consultation, there is no blame upon either of them. And if you wish to have your children nursed by a substitute, there is no blame upon you as long as you give payment according to what is acceptable. And fear Allah and know that Allah is Seeing of what you do.
The Quran allows a baby to be nursed by another woman.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5101
Sahih... أرضعتني وأبا سلمة ثويبة ...
"Thuwaybah nursed me and Abu Salamah."
The Prophet was nursed by a woman other than his mother.
Sahih Muslim 1445
Sahih... يحرم من الرضاعة ما يحرم من النسب ...
"Nursing makes unlawful what lineage makes unlawful."
Milk kinship has the same marriage prohibitions as blood kinship.
Sahih al-Bukhari 2647
Sahih... إنما الرضاعة من المجاعة ...
"Nursing that counts is only that which satisfies hunger."
Only nursing in infancy, when milk is the baby's food, creates kinship.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Rada'. Women should not nurse every child without need, and should remember, publicise and record any nursing.
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Rada'. Any amount of nursing within the period creates kinship.
- al-Mughni (Ibn Qudama), Kitab al-Rada'. The Hanbali requirement of five feeds.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.