[Q 627] Donating Breast Milk & Rada’at Explained

A sister is nursing her son however she is going on hajj but she will have to continue pumping otherwise their will be nothing left to give him when she comes back if she does that is what she intends to do anyway what can she do with that milk because her son won’t get it and it seems a waste to spill it.

What would be the smartest thing to do with that milk because it will be pumped, refrigerated what can she do with it can she give it to people what can she do?

If a woman has extra breast milk which she is unable to do anything with and it goes to waste, she will not be sinful. If there is anyway to save it she should try to do that. For example, medical experts say that breastmilk can be deepfrozen for up to 12 months.

She may give it to be fed to another child who needs it, but it is extremely important to note that a relationship of Rada’at will be formed between that child and the woman whose milk it was. Furthermore, it can only be fed to a child under 2 years old, not to any older child or adult.

Radaa’at means that when a child drinks the breast milk of a woman, Hurmat(prohibition) will be established between them, as well as with that woman’s husband, children, siblings etc.

Due to this, the scholars say that a woman should not unnecessarily feed their milk to other children. If they do, they need to keep track of it and should write it down.

It says in Fatawa Alamgiri:

والواجب على النساء أن لا يرضعن كل صبي من غير ضرورة وإن فعلن ذلك فليحفظن أو يكتبن، كذا سمعت من مشايخي رحمهم الله تعالى كذا في المضمرات

(Fatawa Alamgiri, 1/345, Beirut)

Answered By: Sabih Attari (Ask Mufti Scholar)

Verified By: Mufti Sajid Attari

Date: April 29, 2026