The question asks whether a woman in the postpartum period is required to pray, and when she must begin praying, after she heard from one of the scholars that a woman cannot pray during menstruation.

The questioner : The question asks whether a woman in the postpartum period is required to pray, and when she must begin praying, after she heard from one of the scholars that only menstruation invalidates a woman's prayer.

The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.

The questioner : O Allah, send blessings.

The Shaykh : A woman in the postpartum period is not permitted to pray, she is not required to make up the prayers she missed, and her prayer is invalid if she were to pray.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : She is exactly like a menstruating woman. I do not think what you heard from some scholars actually happened; perhaps you misunderstood. If a woman becomes pure before the forty days are complete, she must perform the full ritual bath and pray, even if she becomes pure with five days or less remaining.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : It is obligatory for her to perform the full ritual bath and pray once she knows she is pure. Likewise, it is permissible for her husband to have intercourse with her before the forty days are complete, as long as she has become pure and performed the full ritual bath, because there is no evidence prohibiting this.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : This is because if prayer is permissible, then intercourse is even more permissible, since abstaining from intercourse is not more significant than abstaining from prayer.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : The scholars have mentioned that a woman may not be in a state of postpartum bleeding, meaning she gives birth but no blood appears. I used to think this was a hypothetical matter, but it is a reality; this happened about ten days ago.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : I was asked about a woman who gave birth and no blood came from her, but her delivery was in a hospital. I do not know if she had a procedure performed and did not bleed, or if she gave birth naturally like this.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : In any case, a delivery without blood does not result in a postpartum period, and the woman prays from that time.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : As for the one who has blood, once she becomes pure from it, she performs the full ritual bath and prays, whether before the forty days, during the forty days, or after them, by days, provided the blood does not reach the level of irregular non-menstrual bleeding. Yes.

The questioner : So if the forty days end and the woman has not become pure, she does not pray either.
AThe Shaykh : She does not pray, but the well-known position in the school of jurisprudence is that what extends beyond the forty days, if it coincides with the custom of menstruation, is considered menstruation.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : If it does not coincide with the custom, it is irregular non-menstrual bleeding. The correct view is that she should sit (not pray) for it, whether it coincides with the custom of menstruation or not, because some women may exceed the forty days.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Unless it continues with her and she knows it is irregular non-menstrual bleeding, in which case it is irregular non-menstrual bleeding.

The questioner : And she prays in ... ?

The Shaykh : And she prays; she performs the full ritual bath and prays, and when her custom returns, she sits (does not pray).

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : She sits and does not pray?

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : Yes, this message came from the citizen H S N Q from al-Qunfudhah.