Narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that Sayyiduna Abu Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) had made Sayyiduna Salim (may Allah be pleased with him) his adopted son. Salim was a slave of a woman from the Ansar, she had freed him, and Sayyiduna Abu Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) had made him his adopted son, just as the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had made Sayyiduna Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) his adopted son. In the era of ignorance, people used to do this. Then, whoever made someone an adopted son would call him by the name of son and he would be entitled to inheritance, until Allah Almighty revealed this command: {اُدْعُوْھُمْ لِآبَائِہِمْ … … فِی الدِّیْنِ وَمَوَالِیْکُمْ} Call them by (the names of) their fathers; that is more just in the sight of Allah. But if you do not know their fathers, then they are your brothers in religion and your friends. (Surah Al-Ahzab: 5) After this verse, the adopted sons were referred back to the names of their real fathers. Those whose fathers' names were not known, they were called friends or brothers. The wife of Sayyiduna Abu Hudhaifah, Sayyida Sahla (may Allah be pleased with her), came to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! We have made Salim our son, he used to come to me and Abu Hudhaifah and would see me in my ordinary working clothes. Now he has grown up, and you know that Allah Almighty has also revealed this command regarding them that the adopted son is not real, call them by the names of their fathers. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So give him milk to drink five times, because of this you will become unlawful for him and he will become your foster son. In one narration it is stated: So Sahla gave him milk to drink five times and he became her foster son. Based on this incident, Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), when she wanted to see certain individuals, would order her sisters and nieces to give them milk to drink, even if they were adults. When they had given them milk to drink five times, they could enter. But Sayyida Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) and the other pure wives of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not allow anyone to enter on the basis of this fosterage. They considered only that fosterage valid which occurred during the age of suckling, and they used to say to Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that perhaps this concession was not for other people, but only for Sayyiduna Salim, that he drank milk even in adulthood, so fosterage was established.

Narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that Sayyida Sahlah bint Suhail (may Allah be pleased with her) came to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! You know what status Salim had in our home, we considered him just like a son, he used to come to me whenever he wished, and we did not mind it at all. Now, a new command has been revealed regarding him and such adopted sons. Now, when Sayyiduna Abu Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) sees him, his face changes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So, give him milk to drink ten times, then he may come to you as he wishes, he will become your son. Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) considered this command to be general, but the other noble wives thought that this command was specific to Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifah, because Sayyida Sahlah (may Allah be pleased with her) had mentioned a specific situation regarding him.

It is narrated from Sayyidah Sahla (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of Sayyiduna Abu Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him), she says: I said, "O Messenger of Allah! The freed slave of Abu Hudhaifah comes to me, while now he has become a bearded young man." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Give him your milk to drink." She said: "How can I give him my milk to drink when he is a bearded man?" Then she gave him her milk to drink, and he used to come and go to her.

It is narrated from the wife of the Prophet, Sayyida Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: All the other pure wives, except Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), refused to allow any man to come to them on account of breastfeeding like that of Salim. And they said to Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): Our opinion is only that this concession given by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is specific to Salim, therefore, on account of such breastfeeding, no one should enter upon us nor should anyone see us.

Narrated from Sayyida Zainab bint Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) that Sayyida Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) said to Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): Aisha! A boy who is near puberty comes to you, I do not like that he comes to me. Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Is there not for you the best example in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? The wife of Abu Hudhaifa said: O Messenger of Allah! Salim comes to me and now he has become a man, and Abu Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) does not like his coming. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So give him your milk so that he may come to you.

Narrated from Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that Sayyidah Sahla bint Suhail (may Allah be pleased with her) came and said: O Messenger of Allah! When Salim enters upon me, I see a change on the face of my husband, Sayyiduna Abu Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So give him milk to drink. She said: How can I give him milk to drink, he is so grown up? The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began to laugh and said: Do I not know that he is grown up? Then when she came, she said: Now I do not see any dislike on the face of Abu Hudhaifah.