The One Who has More Priority for the Custody of a Small Child

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الرَّجُلُ أَحَقُّ بِوَلَدِهِ أَمِ الْمَرْأَةُ قَالَ لَا بَلِ الرَّجُلُ فَإِنْ قَالَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ لِزَوْجِهَا الَّذِي طَلَّقَهَا أَنَا أُرْضِعُ ابْنِي بِمِثْلِ مَا تَجِدُ مَنْ تُرْضِعُهُ- فَهِيَ أَحَقُّ بِهِ‌[1].

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), if a man has more right for the custody of a child or woman. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, the man has more right. If a divorced woman asks for breastfeeding her child for the same price as others, then she has more right for breastfeeding.’”

إِذَا طَلَّقَ الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَتَهُ وَ هِيَ حُبْلَى أَنْفَقَ عَلَيْهَا حَتَّى تَضَعَ حَمْلَهَا وَ إِذَا وَضَعَتْهُ أَعْطَاهَا أَجْرَهَا وَ لَا يُضَارَّهَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَجِدَ مَنْ هُوَ أَرْخَصُ أَجْراً مِنْهَا فَإِنْ هِيَ رَضِيَتْ بِذَلِكَ الْأَجْرِ فَهِيَ أَحَقُّ بِابْنِهَا حَتَّى تَفْطِمَهُ.

‘When a man divorces his wife, who is pregnant, he must provide her maintenance until she gives birth. When she gives birth he must pay her wages and must not harm her unless he finds someone who does it for less; but if she agrees with the lesser wages then she has more right to breastfeeding her child until the child

سُئِلَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُطَلِّقُ امْرَأَتَهُ وَ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَدٌ أَيُّهُمَا أَحَقُّ بِالْوَلَدِ قَالَ الْمَرْأَةُ أَحَقُّ بِالْوَلَدِ مَا لَمْ تَتَزَوَّجْ.

“Once, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the case of a man who divorces his wife. They have a child, which one of them has more right for the child? He (the Imam) said, ‘The woman has more right as long as she does not marry.’”

وَ الْوالِداتُ يُرْضِعْنَ أَوْلادَهُنَ‌ قَالَ مَا دَامَ الْوَلَدُ فِي الرَّضَاعِ فَهُوَ بَيْنَ الْأَبَوَيْنِ بِالسَّوِيَّةِ[2] فَإِذَا فُطِمَ فَالْأَبُ أَحَقُّ بِهِ مِنَ الْأُمِّ فَإِذَا مَاتَ الْأَبُ فَالْأُمُّ أَحَقُّ بِهِ مِنَ الْعَصَبَةِ فَإِنْ وَجَدَ الْأَبُ مَنْ يُرْضِعُهُ بِأَرْبَعَةِ دَرَاهِمَ وَ قَالَتِ الْأُمُّ لَا أُرْضِعُهُ إِلَّا بِخَمْسَةِ دَرَاهِمَ فَإِنَّ لَهُ أَنْ يَنْزِعَهُ مِنْهَا إِلَّا أَنَّ ذَلِ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Mothers must breastfeed their children’ means that a child during breastfeeding period is between the two parents in equal manners. When the child is weaned then the father has more right about him than the mother. When the father dies then the mother has more right than the relatives

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ حُرَّةٍ نَكَحَتْ عَبْداً فَأَوْلَدَهَا أَوْلَاداً ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ طَلَّقَهَا فَلَمْ تُقِمْ مَعَ وُلْدِهَا وَ تَزَوَّجَتْ فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ الْعَبْدَ أَنَّهَا تَزَوَّجَتْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ وُلْدَهُ مِنْهَا وَ قَالَ أَنَا أَحَقُّ بِهِمْ‌ مِنْكِ إِنْ تَزَوَّجْتِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ لِلْعَبْدِ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنْهَا وُلْدَهَا وَ إِنْ تَزَوَّجَتْ حَتَّى يُعْتَقَ هِيَ أَحَقُّ بِوُلْ

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a free woman who has married a slave who has given birth to several children. She is then divorced and then does not stay with her children but marries another man. The slave then finds out about her marriage. He wants to take his children from her saying that he h