In the case of bleeding after childbirth, women are instructed to abandon formal prayer and fasting for a maximum period of forty days. Umm Salamah said, "Women experiencing post-natal bleedingwould refrain from formal prayer for forty days or forty nights, and we used to rub our faces with an aromatic herb called wars to remove dark spots.
As in the case of prayers missed due to menstration, women are not required to make up prayers missed due to post-natal bleeding, but they are enjoined to make up the days of missed fasts. Mussah al-Azdeeyah said: I performed Hajj and came to Umm Salamah and told her, "O Mother of the Believers! Samurah ibn Jundub is instructing women to make up prayers missed during their menstrual periods." She replied, "They should not do so. The wives of the Prophet(SAW) used to abstain from formal prayer for forty days when bleeding after child-birth and the Prophet(SAW) did not instruct them to make up the prayers missed during the period of bleeding.
There are no authentic narrations to indicate the minimum period of post-natal bleeding. Anas ibn Maalik said, "Allah's Messenger (SAW) set a time period of forty days for women bleeding after child-birth, except if they became pure before that time."
Q. Sometimes when a woman experiences a miscarriage the fetus is clearly formed, while at other times it is not. What is the Islamic ruling regarding formal prayer in each circumstance?
A. If a woman miscarries a fetus whose human characteristics (eg. head, hand, foot, etc.) are clearly evident, she is considered as having given birth and the rules for post -natal bleeding apply. She neither makes formal prayer nor does she fast, and sexual intercourse is forbidden until her bleeding stops before forty days. At any time that the bleeding stops before forty days, she is obliged to pray and fast, and sexual intercourse is permitted with her husband. There is no minimum limit for post-natl bleeding. Bleeding which continues past forty days is not considered as nifaas (normal post-natal bleeding), but abnormal bleeding (istihaadah) in which case she must make formal prayer and fast, and she may have sexual relations with her husband. She must make wudoo for each prayer based on the Prophets(SAW) instruction to Faatimah bint Abee Hubaysh, "...perform wudoo for every formal prayer..."
If, on the other hand, the fetus does not have human features (eg. a smooth clump of flesh or a clot of blood) her bleeding is considered istihaadah, not nifaas or menses. She must pray and fast, and she may have sexual relations with her husband. She should wear a sanitary napkin and make wudoo for each prayer. She may join the prayers of Thuhr and Asr, as well as Maghrib and Ishaa, and she may take a ghusl for each pair of prayers and a separate ghusl for Fajr based on the authentic hadeeth of Hamnah bint Jahsh regarding the ruling for istihaadah.
Q. A year ago I had a miscarriage in the third month, so I stopped making formal prayer until the bleeding stopped. Someone recently told me that I should have continued praying. What should I do, considering that I am not sure exactly how many days of praying I missed?
A. According to scholars, if a woman miscarries in the third month. she should stop making formal prayers. Any bleeding following a miscarriage in which human characteristics are evident in the fetus is considered nifaas during which formal prayer is not permitted. Scholars say that human characteristics become evident after eighty-one days, which is less than three months. Consequently, if she is certain that the miscarried fetus was three months old, her discharge of blood is nifaas. But, if the miscarriage took place in the third month before eighty-one days, the blood is considered abnormal bleeding (istihaadah), and she should have continued praying. So, she must try to remember how many days were missed. If it turns out that the miscarriage took place before eighty-one days, she should make up the prayers missed. But, if she cannot remember, she should carefully estimate the days and make up the missed prayers as a precautinary measure.
Q.Is it permissable for a man to have sex with his wife after her post-natal bleeding has stopped, but before forty days have passed?
A.It is not permissable for a man to have sexual intercourse with his wife while she is nifaas, which is the blood flow after child-birth. If the bleeding stops before the forty day period ends, sexual intercourse is disliked (makrooh), but permissible, as long as the bleeding has completely stopped and she has begun prayer and fasting.
Q.Must a woman fast and pray after giving birth if her post-natal bleeding stops before the forty-day period
A. Yes, she must fast and pray. For women to perform formal prayers and fast they must be free from discharges of blood. Once the condition of purity is fulfilled. sexual intercourse with her husband becomes permissible and formal prayer and fasting become obligatory.
Q. Can a menstruating woman or one experiencing post-natal bleeding eat and drink during the daytime in the month of Ramadaan?
A.Yes, but it should be done secretly if there are young children in the home in order not to confuse them.
Q.What is the Islamic ruling regarding the fast of a woman who has a miscarriage followed by bleeding?
A.If the miscarriage occurs before the embryo is developed, the bleeding which comes with it is not considered as nifaas(post-natal bleeding) so her fast is valid and she should continue to pray and fast. But if the miscarriage occurs after the embryo has developed, the bleeding is considered the same as post-natal bleeding and her fast is invalidated. She must discontinue formal prayers and fasting until the bleeding ceases.
Q.What is the Islamic ruling regarding the prayer and the fast of a pregnant woman who has an accident and her miscarriage is followed by heavy bleeding?
A. If the features of the miscarried fetus are clearly human, the bleeding is considered post-natal bleeding which requires her to discontinue her fast and formal prayer, and avoid sexual intercourse until the bleeding ceases. If, on the other hand, the features of the fetus are not developed, the bleeding would not be considered nifaas and she should continue to pray and fast. According to the scholars, the shortest period in which the fetus may develop human features is eighty-one days. 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood's hadeeth is the basis for this opinion. He reported the Prophet (SAW) said, "Verily your creation is combined in your mother's womb for forty days in the form of an oily fluid, then as a leech-like clot for a similar period and then as a clump of flesh for another similar period.After [the last] period, an angel is sent to blow the spirit into it....
Q.Can a woman perform Hajj if her bleeding ceases before the forty-day post-natal period? And if her bleeding does not stop, what should she do if she already made the intention for Hajj?
A.If her post-natal bleeding stops before forty days, she should make a ghusl, do her formal prayers and perform all the rites of Hajj, including the tawaaf
However, if the bleeding continues and she has already made her intention for Hajj, she she make a ghusl, wear a sanitary napkin and put on her ihraam
Q.If a woman delivers a child on the day of Tarweeyah
A.She should not make a ghusl and perform tawaaf until she is absolutely certain that her post-natal bleeding has completely stopped. Once she is certain she should then make ghusl and perform the tawaaf and sa'yi. If she performs sa'yi before tawaaf there is no harm, because when the Prophet was asked about one who did that, he replied that there was no harm.
The bleeding following child-birth breaks the state of Tahaarah in the same way that menses does and requires that a woman take a ghusl whenever the bleeding stops to retain the state of purity necessary for formal prayer.
