The Preferable and Non-preferable Milk

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع امْرَأَةٌ وَلَدَتْ مِنَ الزِّنَا أَتَّخِذُهَا ظِئْراً قَالَ لَا تَسْتَرْضِعْهَا وَ لَا ابْنَتَهَا.

‘Do not hire her for breastfeeding as well as her daughter.”’

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ مُظَائَرَةِ الْمَجُوسِيِّ فَقَالَ لَا وَ لَكِنْ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if a Zoroastrian woman can be hired for breastfeeding a child. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, however, she can be of the people of the book.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِذَا أَرْضَعْنَ‌ لَكُمْ فَامْنَعُوهُنَّ مِنْ شُرْبِ الْخَمْرِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When they breastfeed for you do not allow them to drink wine.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع هَلْ يَصْلُحُ لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ تُرْضِعَ لَهُ- الْيَهُودِيَّةُ وَ النَّصْرَانِيَّةُ وَ الْمُشْرِكَةُ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ وَ قَالَ امْنَعُوهُنَّ مِنْ شُرْبِ الْخَمْرِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), if it is proper to hire a Jewish or a Christian or a pagan woman for breastfeeding. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful but do not allow them to drink wine.’”

لَبَنُ الْيَهُودِيَّةِ وَ النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ وَ الْمَجُوسِيَّةِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ لَبَنِ وَلَدِ الزِّنَا وَ كَانَ لَا يَرَى بَأْساً بِلَبَنِ وَلَدِ الزِّنَا إِذَا جَعَلَ مَوْلَى الْجَارِيَةِ الَّذِي فَجَرَ بِالْجَارِيَةِ فِي حِلٍ‌[1].

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع عَنْ غُلَامٍ لِي وَثَبَ عَلَى جَارِيَةٍ لِي فَأَحْبَلَهَا فَوَلَدَتْ وَ احْتَجْنَا إِلَى لَبَنِهَا فَإِنْ أَحْلَلْتُ لَهُمَا مَا صَنَعَا أَ يَطِيبُ لَبَنُهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ.

A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from Hammad ibn ‘Uthaman from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of a boy who impregnated my slave-girl who then gave birth and we needed her milk. If I g

مُرْهَا فَلْتُحَلِّلْهَا يَطِيبُ اللَّبَنُ‌[2].

‘Instruct her to give permission, the milk will be fine.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ لَا تَسْتَرْضِعُوا الْحَمْقَاءَ فَإِنَّ اللَّبَنَ يُعْدِي وَ إِنَّ الْغُلَامَ يَنْزِعُ إِلَى اللَّبَنِ يَعْنِي إِلَى الظِّئْرِ فِي الرُّعُونَةِ وَ الْحُمْقِ.

“This is a narration of abu Ja‘far (a.s.), from the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. He (the Messenger of Allah) has said, ‘You must not hire a dimwitted woman for breastfeeding; the milk spreads and the boy is drawn to the milk, that is,

كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص يَقُولُ‌ لَا تَسْتَرْضِعُوا الْحَمْقَاءَ فَإِنَّ اللَّبَنَ يَغْلِبُ الطِّبَاعَ وَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص لَا تَسْتَرْضِعُوا الْحَمْقَاءَ فَإِنَّ الْوَلَدَ يَشِبُّ عَلَيْهِ‌[4].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin would say, ‘Do not hire a dimwitted woman for breastfeeding: milk overpowers natural manners. The Messenger of Allah has said, “Do not hire a dimwitted woman for breastfeeding; with such milk the child grows up.’””

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ انْظُرُوا مَنْ تُرْضِعُ أَوْلَادَكُمْ فَإِنَّ الْوَلَدَ يَشِبُّ عَلَيْهِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘Pay proper attention to who breastfeeds your children: a child grows up with such milk.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ وَلَدَتْ مِنْ زِنًى هَلْ يَصْلُحُ أَنْ يُسْتَرْضَعَ بِلَبَنِهَا قَالَ لَا يَصْلُحُ وَ لَا لَبَنِ ابْنَتِهَا الَّتِي وُلِدَتْ مِنَ الزِّنَى.

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the case of a woman who has given birth because of fornication; if it is proper to hire her for breastfeeding. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not proper as well as the milk of her daughter who is born out of wedlock.’”

قَالَ لِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ اسْتَرْضِعْ لِوَلَدِكَ بِلَبَنِ الْحِسَانِ وَ إِيَّاكَ وَ الْقِبَاحَ فَإِنَّ اللَّبَنَ قَدْ يُعْدِي.

'Seek a wet nurse for your child from among the beautiful women, and avoid the ugly ones, for the milk can have an influence.'

عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْوُضَّاءِ[1] مِنَ الظُّؤْرَةِ فَإِنَّ اللَّبَنَ يُعْدِي.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘You must find a clean breastfeeding woman because milk may spread (its bad effects).”’

لَا تَسْتَرْضِعُوا لِلصَّبِيِّ الْمَجُوسِيَّةَ وَ اسْتَرْضِعْ لَهُ الْيَهُودِيَّةَ وَ النَّصْرَانِيَّةَ وَ لَا يَشْرَبْنَ الْخَمْرَ وَ يُمْنَعْنَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Do not hire a Zoroastrian woman for breastfeeding your child, however, you may hire a Jewish, a Christian woman who must not drink wine and you must not allow them to do so.’”