Book 17: The Book Of Suckling
Overview
The Book of Suckling (Kitab Al-Radha'a) in Sahih Muslim covers several foundational aspects of Islamic family law, sexual ethics, and anthropology. The primary theological argument is that breastfeeding (fosterage) establishes a legal kinship identical to blood relations, rendering the parties 'mahram' (unmarriageable and permitted to mix freely without hijab). The text details debates over the exact number of sucklings required to establish this bond, including a highly controversial ruling where Muhammad commanded a woman to breastfeed an adult man (Salim) to make him lawful to enter her home. Furthermore, the text contains a critical textual claim by Aisha that a Quranic verse stipulating 'ten clear sucklings' was abrogated to 'five,' and that this verse was still being recited as part of the Quran when Muhammad died, raising significant questions about Quranic preservation. Beyond fosterage, the text addresses the ethics of war, explicitly permitting Muslim men to have sexual intercourse with captive women even if those women are already married, citing the revelation of Quran 4:24. The latter half of the book shifts to marital logistics, detailing Muhammad's rotation among his nine wives, the criteria for selecting a wife (prioritizing religion over beauty or wealth), and the Islamic view of female nature. Muhammad asserts that women were created from a rib and are inherently 'crooked,' warning men that attempting to straighten them will lead to divorce. The text concludes by blaming Eve for the unfaithfulness of all subsequent women.
Key Figures
- Muhammad (Allah's Messenger): The central authority figure whose rulings, actions, and divine revelations establish the legal and moral boundaries for the Muslim community.
- 'A'isha: Muhammad's wife and a primary narrator of these hadiths. She provides intimate details of Muhammad's rulings on fosterage, marital relations, and the controversial claim regarding lost/abrogated Quranic verses.
- Umm Salama: Another of Muhammad's wives who frequently contrasts with 'A'isha, particularly in rejecting the practice of adult suckling as a general rule, viewing it as a special concession only for Salim.
- Jabir b. 'Abdullah: A companion whose marriage to a widow prompts Muhammad's teachings on the preference for marrying virgins for mutual sexual amusement.
- Sahla bint Suhail: The woman commanded by Muhammad to breastfeed the adult man Salim to resolve her husband's jealousy.
- Salim (freed slave of Abu Hudhaifa): The adult man who was breastfed by Sahla to establish a mahram relationship.
- Abu Huraira: A prolific narrator who transmits Muhammad's teachings on the 'crooked' nature of women and the blame placed on Eve for female unfaithfulness.
- Eve: Cited by Muhammad as the historical and spiritual origin of female unfaithfulness toward husbands.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Kinship through Fosterage (Radha'a)
Assertion
Breastfeeding establishes a legal and ontological kinship that makes marriage unlawful and permits the removal of the hijab, exactly as blood consanguinity does.
Evidence from Text
Fosterage makes unlawful what consanguinity makes unlawful. [017:3445]
Evangelical Comparison
In Islamic jurisprudence, the ingestion of breast milk creates a literal kinship bond. This doctrine requires meticulous record-keeping of who nursed whom to avoid accidental incest. Evangelical Christianity, relying on Sola Scriptura, finds no such concept in the Bible. Biblical marriage prohibitions are based strictly on blood relations and affinity through marriage (Leviticus 18:6-18). The Evangelical view of the body and kinship does not support the idea that the transfer of bodily fluids (milk) alters a person's ontological family status or creates a spiritual barrier to marriage.
Abrogation and Textual Loss (Naskh)
Assertion
Verses of the Quran regarding the number of sucklings were abrogated, and some were still being recited as part of the Quran at the time of Muhammad's death before being lost or removed.
Evidence from Text
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with, her) reported that it had been revealed in the Holy Qur'an that ten clear sucklings make the marriage unlawful, then it was abrogated (and substituted) by five sucklings and Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) died and it was before that time (found) in the Holy Qur'an (and recited by the Muslims). [017:3474]
Evangelical Comparison
This hadith presents a massive apologetic and textual problem for the Islamic claim of perfect Quranic preservation. 'A'isha explicitly states that a verse commanding 'five sucklings' was part of the Quran when Muhammad died, yet this verse is not found in the Quran today. Evangelical Christianity holds to the preservation of Scripture (Isaiah 40:8, 1 Peter 1:25). While Evangelicals recognize the progression of revelation (e.g., the New Covenant fulfilling the Old), the concept that God would reveal a verse, abrogate it with another, and then allow the final verse to be lost from the written text after the prophet's death fundamentally violates the Evangelical understanding of God's sovereign protection of His Word.
Permissibility of Sexual Relations with Married Captives
Assertion
Muslim men are permitted to have sexual intercourse with female captives of war, even if those women are currently married to non-Muslims, as their captivity nullifies their previous marriages.
Evidence from Text
The Companions of Allah's Messenger (may peace te upon him) seemed to refrain from having intercourse with captive women because of their husbands being polytheists. Then Allah, Most High, sent down regarding that: 'And women already married, except those whom your right hands possess (iv. 24)' [017:3485]
Evangelical Comparison
This doctrine stands in stark antithesis to Evangelical sexual ethics. The biblical standard for sexual relations is exclusively within a monogamous, consensual marriage covenant (Hebrews 13:4, Genesis 2:24). The taking of captive women for sexual use, particularly those who are already married, is classified as adultery and rape under biblical law (Exodus 20:14). The Evangelical understanding of God's holy character precludes Him from issuing a revelation (like Quran 4:24) that sanctions the sexual exploitation of vulnerable prisoners of war. This represents a profound theological gap regarding the nature of God's moral law.
The Inherent Crookedness of Women
Assertion
Women are created from a rib and are inherently crooked in their nature; they cannot be straightened, and their unfaithfulness is an inherited trait from Eve.
Evidence from Text
Woman is like a rib. When you attempt to straighten it, you would break it. And if you leave her alone you would benefit by her, and crookedness will remain in her. [017:3521] ... Had it not been for Eve, woman would have never acted unfaithfully towards her husband. [017:3527]
Evangelical Comparison
The Islamic anthropology presented here views women as fundamentally defective ('crooked') and places the blame for marital unfaithfulness squarely on Eve. Evangelical theology, rooted in Genesis 1:27, affirms that both men and women are created equally in the image of God (Imago Dei). While Evangelicals acknowledge the Fall, the Apostle Paul explicitly identifies Adam as the federal head of humanity through whom sin and death entered the world (Romans 5:12). Furthermore, the New Testament elevates the status of women, calling husbands to love their wives sacrificially as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25), rather than viewing them as 'crooked' objects to be managed or tolerated for benefit.
Polygamy and Marital Rotation
Assertion
A man may have multiple wives, and he is obligated to divide his time among them according to specific formulas, though the Prophet was granted divine exception to this rule.
Evidence from Text
For the virgin woman, (her husband has to stay with her) for a week, and for the woman previously married it is three days. [017:3500] ... You may defer any one of them you wish, and take to yourself any you wish... I ('A'isha.) said: It seems to me that your Lord hastens to satisfy your desire. [017:3508]
Evangelical Comparison
The text assumes and regulates polygamy, detailing how a husband must divide his nights among his wives. It also highlights a special revelation (Quran 33:51) that exempted Muhammad from these rules of fairness, allowing him to sleep with whichever wife he chose, prompting 'A'isha's cynical observation. Evangelical Christianity views monogamy as the explicit design of God from creation ('the two shall become one flesh,' Matthew 19:4-6). While the Old Testament records polygamy, it is never prescribed, and the New Testament explicitly requires church leaders to be 'the husband of one wife' (1 Timothy 3:2), establishing monogamy as the standard for Christian obedience.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text presents a legalistic framework for sexual ethics that permits polygamy and the sexual use of captive women, while viewing women as inherently defective. This fundamentally contradicts the Evangelical doctrines of monogamy, the Imago Dei, and the sanctity of the marriage covenant.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity is vast, particularly concerning anthropology and sexual ethics. Evangelicals hold to the Imago Dei, believing men and women are equally dignified and equally fallen in Adam (Romans 5:12). This text, however, posits an ontological defect in women—they are 'crooked' by nature—and places the specific blame for marital unfaithfulness on Eve. This creates a theological framework where women are viewed with inherent suspicion and managed as defective subordinates. Furthermore, the text's sexual ethics violently clash with the Evangelical understanding of God's moral law. The revelation of Quran 4:24, which explicitly permits Muslim men to have sexual intercourse with married female captives of war, violates the biblical commands against adultery, rape, and covetousness (Exodus 20). In Evangelical theology, God's moral law is a reflection of His unchanging, holy character. Therefore, a 'revelation' that sanctions the sexual exploitation of vulnerable captives is viewed not as divine truth, but as a severe moral failure that disqualifies the source from being considered a true prophet of the biblical God.
For All Ages
Imagine you have a rulebook for how to treat people. In the Christian rulebook (the Bible), God says marriage is only between one man and one woman, and you must treat everyone with total respect because God made both men and women in His image. You are never allowed to force someone to be with you. But in this Islamic text, the rules are very different. It says a man can have many wives, and if soldiers capture women in a war, they are allowed to use them, even if those women are already married. It also says that women are made 'crooked' and can't be fixed, and blames the first woman, Eve, for making all women unfaithful. Christians believe this goes against God's perfect love and His rules for how special and safe marriage is supposed to be.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura / Preservation of Scripture
The text explicitly claims that a verse of the Quran was abrogated and subsequently lost after Muhammad's death, undermining the doctrine of the perfect preservation of God's Word.
Biblical Anthropology / Imago Dei
The text asserts women are inherently 'crooked' and blames Eve for all female unfaithfulness, denying the equal dignity and mutual fallenness taught in Scripture.
Sanctity of Marriage / Moral Law
The text permits sexual relations with married captives of war and regulates polygamy, violating the biblical commands against adultery and the design of monogamy.
Theology Proper (Character of God)
The text portrays God as altering eternal moral laws to accommodate the sexual desires of soldiers (captives) and the Prophet (deferring wives).
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Marriage / Lawful (Halal)"
In This Text
Includes polygamous unions and the right to sexual access to female slaves/captives ('what your right hands possess').
In Evangelicalism
An exclusive, lifelong covenant between one man and one woman (Matthew 19:4-6).
"Revelation"
In This Text
Words given by Allah to Muhammad, which can be situational, self-serving (e.g., deferring wives), or later abrogated and lost from the text.
In Evangelicalism
The unchanging, perfectly preserved, and eternally binding Word of God.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Not explicitly defined in this specific text, but implicitly involves avoiding the wrath of Allah by obeying his complex social and sexual laws.
How Attained: Through submission to the rulings of Muhammad (Sunnah) and adherence to the legal boundaries of halal (lawful) and haram (unlawful).
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based on exact compliance with legal stipulations (e.g., knowing exactly how many times someone was breastfed to avoid incest).
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text is entirely law-based. It focuses on external behaviors, legal loopholes (adult suckling), and physical rituals. It stands in total contrast to Sola Fide, where righteousness is imputed by faith in Christ's perfect obedience, not by navigating complex marital and fosterage laws (Galatians 2:16).
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Do not marry those who are related to you by fosterage (breastfeeding).
- Grant permission for foster-relatives to enter the house without the observance of hijab.
- Attribute a child to the owner of the bed (the husband) where it is born.
- Stone the fornicator.
- Stay with a newly married virgin for seven nights before rotating to other wives.
- Stay with a newly married non-virgin (widow/divorcee) for three nights before rotating.
- Prioritize religion when choosing a woman to marry.
- Act kindly towards women, accepting their inherent 'crookedness' without trying to force them to change.
Implicit Obligations
- Accept the rulings of the Prophet even when they defy cultural norms or personal comfort (e.g., adult suckling).
- Wives must accept their husband's right to take additional wives and captive concubines.
- Men should prefer marrying virgins for the purpose of mutual sexual amusement.
Ritual Requirements
- Offer two rak'ahs of prayer in the mosque upon returning from a journey before going home.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- I read in Hadith 3474 that 'A'isha said a verse about breastfeeding was still being recited as part of the Quran when the Prophet died, but it's not in the Quran today. How do Islamic scholars explain a verse being lost after his death?
- When reading about the Battle of Autas, it says the men hesitated to have relations with captive women because they were already married, but then a verse was revealed permitting it. How does this align with God's eternal laws against adultery?
- The text says women are created from a rib and are inherently crooked, and blames Eve for unfaithfulness. How does this view of women affect how they are treated in the community today?
- When 'A'isha noticed that verses were revealed to give the Prophet special marital privileges, she said, 'It seems to me that your Lord hastens to satisfy your desire.' What do you make of her observation?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for purity and proper boundaries (Mahram).
The text shows a deep human desire to establish boundaries to maintain purity. However, Jesus taught that true purity is not about external boundaries or physical veils, but about the heart. He offers a purity that comes from within, cleansing the heart so that we can relate to one another in true holiness.
Kinship through a shared substance (Fosterage).
While physical milk does not change our spiritual status, partaking in the blood of Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit truly adopts us into the family of God. We become true brothers and sisters not by physical fosterage, but by spiritual adoption.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
Believers must navigate incredibly complex rules regarding who breastfed whom, how many times, and at what age, to avoid accidentally committing incest or violating hijab rules. This creates a religion of intense external micromanagement.
Women reading this text are told they are inherently 'crooked,' that they carry the inherited guilt of Eve's unfaithfulness, and that they must accept their husbands taking other wives or captive women. This places a severe emotional and spiritual burden of inferiority on female adherents.
The admission that parts of the Quran were lost or abrogated after Muhammad's death creates a subtle but profound uncertainty about the reliability and completeness of the foundation of their faith.