In some regions, when a woman gives birth, she stays in her house and does not go out for forty days. When she finishes this period, she holds a feast, meaning
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : In some regions, when a woman gives birth, she stays in her house and does not go out for forty days. When she finishes this period, she holds a feast, meaning she slaughters a sheep and invites the women of the neighborhood to it. The one who does not hold a feast distributes meat, rice, dates, or fruit to the people of the neighborhood. We ask for clarification on this?
The Shaykh : But she stays in her house, does not go out, and does not go to her husband?
The questioner : She does not go out to visit people, meaning those around her.
The Shaykh : She does not go out, meaning like a person in mourning?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for staying in the house, this is not correct, and there is no evidence for it from the Book, the Sunnah, or the sayings of the scholars. As for her seclusion from her husband, people have become accustomed to it out of fear that if she goes out during the days of post-natal bleeding and her husband is longing for her, intercourse might occur between them, because not every husband can control himself for this duration, especially if he is young. However, if this custom were left, it would be better. This means: during the days of extreme fatigue and hardship, which are the beginning of the delivery, there is no harm in her staying with her relatives, because they are more merciful to her than others, and so that the husband does not dare to do something that would tire her. But when the hardship is gone, she should go to her husband, because the husband has the right to enjoy her in whatever way he wishes, except for intercourse. So why should he be deprived of her?
As for the matter of the feast, when she finishes the period of post-natal bleeding, there is no harm in it. This is one of the permissible feasts, because feasts are of three categories:
One category is forbidden, such as the funeral feast: it is the feast of mourning that the one whose relative has died performs, where he holds a feast and invites people to it. This is either disliked, or forbidden, and the latter is the correct view.
Another category is required by the Shari'ah, which is the feast for marriage: for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf: This is because the feast for marriage necessitates its display and announcement, and announcing the marriage is among the prescribed matters.
The third category is everything else, which is permissible: such as the feast for a woman's exit from post-natal bleeding, the feast for circumcision, the feast for moving into a house for the first time, and the like.
The Shaykh : But she stays in her house, does not go out, and does not go to her husband?
The questioner : She does not go out to visit people, meaning those around her.
The Shaykh : She does not go out, meaning like a person in mourning?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for staying in the house, this is not correct, and there is no evidence for it from the Book, the Sunnah, or the sayings of the scholars. As for her seclusion from her husband, people have become accustomed to it out of fear that if she goes out during the days of post-natal bleeding and her husband is longing for her, intercourse might occur between them, because not every husband can control himself for this duration, especially if he is young. However, if this custom were left, it would be better. This means: during the days of extreme fatigue and hardship, which are the beginning of the delivery, there is no harm in her staying with her relatives, because they are more merciful to her than others, and so that the husband does not dare to do something that would tire her. But when the hardship is gone, she should go to her husband, because the husband has the right to enjoy her in whatever way he wishes, except for intercourse. So why should he be deprived of her?
As for the matter of the feast, when she finishes the period of post-natal bleeding, there is no harm in it. This is one of the permissible feasts, because feasts are of three categories:
One category is forbidden, such as the funeral feast: it is the feast of mourning that the one whose relative has died performs, where he holds a feast and invites people to it. This is either disliked, or forbidden, and the latter is the correct view.
Another category is required by the Shari'ah, which is the feast for marriage: for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf:
Hold a feast, even if it is only with a sheep
أولم ولو بشاةThe third category is everything else, which is permissible: such as the feast for a woman's exit from post-natal bleeding, the feast for circumcision, the feast for moving into a house for the first time, and the like.