A custom in our village is that when a woman gives birth, she sits for forty days in a state of post-natal bleeding, not praying and not fasting, even though many women become pure before the forty days.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : In our village, there is a custom that when a woman gives birth, she sits for forty days in a state of post-natal bleeding, not praying and not fasting, even though many women become pure before the forty days. We ask the honorable Shaykh to clarify for the sisters what a woman must do? And what is the minimum number of days for post-natal bleeding?
The Shaykh : There is no minimum limit for post-natal bleeding. It may be just one day. In fact, some jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) mentioned that a woman may give birth without blood. For the one who gives birth without blood, there is no post-natal bleeding; from the moment she delivers and the blood stops, she takes a full ritual bath and prays. She does not take a full ritual bath if no blood comes out; she performs the ablution for prayer and prays. If blood comes out of her, it is post-natal bleeding, and there is no minimum limit for it. It may be one day, two days, three days, five days, or ten days, and it may reach forty days. But when she becomes pure before the forty days, it is obligatory for her to take a full ritual bath and pray. She may do everything that those in a state of ritual purity do, including that her husband may have intercourse with her. If her husband has intercourse with her within the forty days after she has become pure, there is nothing wrong with it. If prayer is permissible, then intercourse is even more so. If the bleeding exceeds forty days, and this excess coincides with her usual days of menstruation, then it is menstruation. If it does not coincide with her usual pattern, some scholars said that it is corrupt blood, and it is obligatory for her to take a full ritual bath and pray, even if the blood is flowing. Others said: No, as long as the blood remains as it was before the forty days, let her continue until the sixtieth day. This is the position of al-Shafi'i and the choice of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him). In fact, I think he said that it may be seventy days. In any case, as long as the blood is in its state, meaning as it was before the forty days, she remains in that state until the sixtieth day. If she becomes pure before that, she takes a full ritual bath and prays. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, Shaykh. This is a questioner for the program from one of the countries of the Maghreb. He says, honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : There is no minimum limit for post-natal bleeding. It may be just one day. In fact, some jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) mentioned that a woman may give birth without blood. For the one who gives birth without blood, there is no post-natal bleeding; from the moment she delivers and the blood stops, she takes a full ritual bath and prays. She does not take a full ritual bath if no blood comes out; she performs the ablution for prayer and prays. If blood comes out of her, it is post-natal bleeding, and there is no minimum limit for it. It may be one day, two days, three days, five days, or ten days, and it may reach forty days. But when she becomes pure before the forty days, it is obligatory for her to take a full ritual bath and pray. She may do everything that those in a state of ritual purity do, including that her husband may have intercourse with her. If her husband has intercourse with her within the forty days after she has become pure, there is nothing wrong with it. If prayer is permissible, then intercourse is even more so. If the bleeding exceeds forty days, and this excess coincides with her usual days of menstruation, then it is menstruation. If it does not coincide with her usual pattern, some scholars said that it is corrupt blood, and it is obligatory for her to take a full ritual bath and pray, even if the blood is flowing. Others said: No, as long as the blood remains as it was before the forty days, let her continue until the sixtieth day. This is the position of al-Shafi'i and the choice of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him). In fact, I think he said that it may be seventy days. In any case, as long as the blood is in its state, meaning as it was before the forty days, she remains in that state until the sixtieth day. If she becomes pure before that, she takes a full ritual bath and prays. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, Shaykh. This is a questioner for the program from one of the countries of the Maghreb. He says, honorable Shaykh.