Marrying one's foster niece

Q: There are two sisters (Amna and Zulaika) and their mother died. After the death of their mother their father got married to Nasreen. The step mother of Amna and Zulaika (Nasreen) breastfed Amna's son Taimoor her milk. Can Taimoor perform nikah with his cousin who is the daughter of Zulaika? 

A: If the milk Nasreen fed Taimoor was through becoming pregnant from Amna and Zulaika's father, then Taimoor will become the foster child (milk child) of Nasreen and her husband (Amna and Zulaika's father) and he will also become the foster brother of Amna and Zulaika. In this case, since Taimoor will become the foster uncle of Zulaika's daughter, it will not be permissible for him to marry her as she will be his foster niece. However, if Nasreen fed Taimoor milk before she married Amna and Zulaikha's father, it will be permissible for Taimoor to marry his cousin (Zulaikha's daughter) as there is no foster relationship between the both.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

 

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)