The Ruling on Salah When Menses Begin During Sunnah Units

Islamic Rulings for Sisters

Mufti Abu Muhammad Ali Asghar Attari Madani

Can a relationship of marriage forbiddance be established with a fostered child?

Q: What do the scholars of Islam say concerning regarding the following: An elder brother fostered the baby boy of his younger brother. The child is younger than two years of age and the elder brother’s wife wishes her sister to breastfeed him. In this scenario, will the relationship of being forbidden in marriage be established between the boy and the woman who has fostered him?

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

A: Yes. In the mentioned scenario, the relationship of being forbidden in marriage will be established between the boy and the woman who has fostered him. This is because she will be the maternal aunt of that child through breastfeeding, and a maternal aunt through wet nursing is forbidden in marriage just like a maternal aunt through lineage. Relationships forbidden due to lineage are also forbidden by wet nursing.

Yet, it should certainly be kept in mind that even though the prohibition of marriage is established by suckling a child under the age of 2 and a half years, it is forbidden for a woman to breastfeed a child after the age of 2 years. Women should keep this in consideration.

The final Prophet of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said regarding the prohibition of marriage due to breastfeeding, الرضاعۃ تحرم ما تحرم الولادۃ – “Wet nursing prohibits that which childbirth does.”[1]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم

The ruling on salah when menses begin during sunnah units

Q: What do the scholars of Islam say concerning regarding the following: it is mentioned in books of jurisprudence that if menstruation begins during nafl salah, it is invalidated and must be made up afterwards in days of purity from menses. Do sunnah units of salah have the same as these nafl units? Please provide guidance.

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

A: In the scenario mentioned, just like it is necessary to make up nafl salah invalidated by the onset of menses, so too it is necessary to make up sunnah salah invalidated in this way. This is because the nafl units become wājib upon beginning them, and the same applies to sunnah units too.[2]

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم