Issue 1229: If a woman breastfeeds a child according to the conditions which are explained in issue 2505 of the book “Religious Laws” (of Grand Ayatollah Saanei), that child will be considered as Mahram of the following people, that is, as their immediate family member:

1- The woman herself who is referred to as "foster mother".

2- The husband of that woman to whom the milk belongs, who is referred to as "foster father".

3- The parents of that woman and their ascendants along these lines, even though they may be her foster parents.

4- The woman's children whether they have already been born or they will be.

5- The children of that woman's children, as far down the line as they may go, whether born of her children or have been breastfed by them.

6- The woman's brothers and sisters, even though they are her foster brothers and sister, that is, they have become her brothers and sisters through having been breastfed by the same woman as this woman herself has.

7- The woman's paternal uncles and aunts, even foster uncles and aunts.

8- The woman's maternal uncle and aunts, even foster uncles and aunts.

9- The children of that woman's husband to whom her milk belongs, and their descendants along this line, even if they are his foster children.

10- The parents of the woman's husband to whom her milk belongs and their ascendants along these lines.

11- The brothers and sisters of the husband to whom the milk belongs even if they are his foster brothers and sisters.

12- The paternal and maternal aunts and uncles of the husband, to whom the milk belongs, and also their ascendants along these lines, even though they may be his foster aunts and uncles.

There are also certain other people who will be discussed in the forthcoming issues, and who can become Mahram through breast feeding.

Issue 1230: Breastfeeding brings about becoming Mahram under eight conditions:

1- The child should drink the milk of a live woman. Therefore, if he/she sucks at the breast of a dead woman, it will not bring about being Mahram.

2- The milk of that woman should not be produced as a result of any illegal act; hence, if a baby feeds on the milk belonging to a child who has been born out of an adulterous relationship, he/she will not become Mahram of anyone.

3- The child should suck at the breast directly. So, if the milk is poured down its throat, or fed to it by a bottle or other means, it will not lead to the child's becoming Mahram.

4- The milk should be pure and not mixed with any other substance.

5- The milk should be from one husband. Therefore, if a feeding mother divorces her husband and then marries another man and becomes pregnant from him, and if the milk from her first pregnancy still continues from her breasts till she gives birth to the baby of her second husband, and suppose that she feeds a child eight times on the milk from her pregnancy from her first husband and seven times on the milk from her pregnancy from her second husband, the child will not become Mahram to anyone.

6- The baby should not vomit the milk due to any illness, and if he/she does, as an obligatory precaution, those who would become his/her Mahram through breastfeeding should neither marry him/her nor look at him/her as though they were true Mahrams.

7- The baby should suckle fifteen times or one full day and night-as will be discussed in the next issue- to its fill or as much as it can be said that the baby's bones have been strengthened and it has put on flesh through drinking that milk; and even if baby is fed on a woman's milk for ten times, as a recommended precaution, those who would become his/her Mahram through breastfeeding should neither marry him/her, nor look at him/her as though they were true Mahrams.

8- The baby should not have reached the age of two, and if it is fed after its completion of two years of age, it will not become Mahram to anyone, even if it has been fed on a woman's milk fourteen times before reaching two years of age and once after that, it will not become Mahram to anyone either. But if two years have passed from the time when the feeding mother gave birth to her baby and her breasts still continue to produce milk, and if she feeds a baby on her milk, the baby will become Mahram to those mentioned earlier.

Issue 1231: The baby should not be fed on any other food or on another woman's milk during that one full day and night, but if the amount of that food is such that it cannot be said the baby has actually fed on it, it will not raise any problems; the baby should be fed fifteen times successively on the milk of the same woman and should not drink the milk of any other woman during this; and each time, the baby's sucking at the breasts of the feeding woman should be continuous without any time intervals; however, if it pauses for breath while sucking at the breast, such that from the time it takes the breast until it is fed to its fill should count as one feeding time, then it will be in order.