The Liability of the Breastfeeder

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ اسْتَأْجَرَ ظِئْراً فَدَفَعَ إِلَيْهَا وَلَدَهُ فَانْطَلَقَتِ الظِّئْرُ[2] فَدَفَعَتْ وَلَدَهُ إِلَى ظِئْرٍ أُخْرَى فَغَابَتْ بِهِ حِيناً ثُمَّ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ طَلَبَ وَلَدَهُ مِنَ الظِّئْرِ الَّتِي كَانَ أَعْطَاهَا إِيَّاهُ فَأَقَرَّتْ أَنَّهَا اسْتَأْجَرَتْهُ وَ أَقَرَّتْ بِقَبْضِهَا وَلَدَهُ وَ أَنَّهَا كَانَتْ دَفَعَتْهُ إِلَى ظِئْرٍ أُخْرَى فَقَالَ عَلَيْهَا الدِّيَةُ

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who hires a breastfeeding woman for his child and gives the child to her. The breastfeeding woman takes the child and gives him to another breastfeeding woman who remains away for a while. The man then asks for his child, the first breastfeeding woman confes

لَيْسَ عَلَيْهَا شَيْ‌ءٌ الظِّئْرُ مَأْمُونَةٌ.

“About the case of a man who hires a breastfeeding woman, who disappears with the child for many years, but then she brings the child to his family but the mother refuses to accept the child. The family thinks that they do not know him. He (the Imam) said, ‘She is not responsible for anything; the breastfeeding woman i