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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Role of Aishah in the History of Islam (volume Three) 'a'ishah's Monopoly of Verdicts On Sucking Period 'A'ishah ordered her brother's sister or daughters to suck the man that she wished to visit her house, so that they may be considered religiously legitimate intimates.

al-Muwatta' of Malik We have already seen that 'A'ishah was considered a great authority in religious matters from the time of her father's caliphate until the period of Mu'awiyah, with the exception of the period of the Alawite rule. She was frequently consulted by the caliphs and was asked to issue verdicts on various questions. Consequently she was treated with a great respect, and inquirers crowded at the door of her house.

Among the Prophet's wives she was the only one who took part in the great political events of his life, and also, as we saw, she caused so much bloodshed, whereas the other consorts of the Prophet did not interfere in such affairs. It was probably due to this reason that she quoted the Prophet's tradition concerning the sucking period, while the other wives of the Prophet contradicted her in this matter.

According to Musnad of Ahmad 'A'ishah says about this tradition: Sahlah, daughter of Suhayl ibn 'Amr and wife of Abu Hudhayfah, came to the Prophet and said: Salem, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah enters our house while we are not fully dressed and not properly covered. We used to call him our son, since Abu Hudhayfah had adopted him as his son, in the same way that the Prophet had adopted Zayd as his son.

The following verse of the Qur'an descended about this matter: "Assert their relationship to their fathers; this is more equitable with Allah." (3O7) The Prophet said to Sahlah: "You may suckle your freed slave and adopted son five times; than he may be regarded as your foster son and thereby become a religiously legitimate relation." By relying on this tradition the narrator of which was herself, she ordered her sisters and nieces to give suck five times to the men that she wished to visit her, even though they were full- grown adults, so that thereby they could be considered as religiously legitimate intimates and be allowed to enter house without any inconvenience.

But the other wives of the Prophet abstained from this action and did not allow an adult man to visit them by means of sucking their sister's milk, and treat them like an intimate relation. They regarded sucking as something solely related to babyhood.