The Quantity of Milk in Proving Riḍāʿah (Breastfeeding) from the Perspective of Sunni Jurisprudence

Abstract

The issue of Reza‘at (breastfeeding) is a significant social matter that often poses challenges in family formation due to differing opinions among Islamic jurists. A comprehensive study grounded in jurisprudential reasoning is therefore essential. This research seeks to address two key questions: To what extent is Reza‘at established through milk consumption, and what are the underlying reasons for the juristic disagreements on this issue? The importance of this study lies in its examination of a pressing societal concern Reza‘at from the perspective of Islamic jurisprudence, with a focus on clarifying the differing viewpoints of scholars. The findings reveal a divergence of opinion among jurists regarding the amount of milk required to establish a breastfeeding relationship. This divergence stems from the absence of conclusive evidence and the existence of conflicting hadiths on the matter. As a result, the Hanafi school and its adherents, relying on deductive principles, tend to consider Reza‘at valid to an unspecified quantity. In contrast, the Shafi‘i school and its followers, who regard the relevant Qur’anic verse as general and the authentic hadiths as binding, specify a fixed number of nursing instances. The methodology employed in this study is descriptive-analytical, utilizing library-based research and drawing upon credible scholarly sources.