If a woman’s nifaas ends before forty days, she should do ghusl and pray and fast

The majority of scholars, including the four imams, are of the view that there is no minimum limit for nifaas. Whenever a woman becomes pure from nifaas, she has to do ghusl and pray and fast, even if that is before forty days have passed since the birth. Because no precise definition has been narrated in sharee’ah with regard to the minimum length of nifaas, so the matter should be based on experience, which shows that nifaas may be very short or it may be long. - Ibn Qudaamah in al-Mughni, 1/428.

Some of the scholars narrated that there was consensus on this point. Al-Tirmidhi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The scholars among the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the Taabi’een and those who came after them are agreed that a woman in nifaas should stop praying for forty days, unless she sees that she has become pure before that, in which case she should do ghusl and pray. 

See al-Majmoo’ by al-Nawawi, 2/541. 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (15/195) was asked: is it permissible for a woman in nifaas to pray, fast and do Hajj before forty days if she becomes pure (i.e., if the bleeding stops)? 

He replied: yes it is permissible for her to fast, pray and do Hajj and ‘umrah, and it is permissible for her husband to have intercourse with her within forty days, if she becomes pure. If she becomes pure after twenty days, she should do ghusl and pray and fast, and she is permissible for her husband. The report from ‘Uthmaan ibn Abi’l-Aas which says that he regarded that as makrooh is to be understood as meaning disliked but not forbidden; this is his ijtihaad, but there is no evidence for that. 

The correct view is that there is nothing wrong with that if the woman becomes pure before forty days. If the bleeding resumes within forty days, then the correct view is that she should regard it as nifaas within the forty-day period, but her fasts, prayers and Hajj at the time when she was pure are still valid and she does not have to repeat any of them, so long as they were done when she was pure.

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (5/458): 

If a woman in nifaas sees that she has become pure before forty days are over, then she should do ghusl and pray and fast, and her husband may have intercourse with her.

The Standing Committee (10/155) was asked about a woman who gave birth seven days before Ramadaan, then she became pure and fasted Ramadaan. They replied: If the matter is as described and she fasted Ramadaan at a time when she was pure, then her fast is valid and she does not have to make it up.
 

Her nifaas stopped, then the bleeding came back

Praise be to Allaah.

If a woman’s nifaas stops before the forty days (after the birth) are over, she has to do ghusl and pray and fast Ramadaan, and it is permissible for her husband to have intercourse with her. If the bleeding resumes within the forty days (after the birth), then she has to stop praying and fasting, and it is forbidden for her husband to have intercourse with her, according to the more correct of the two scholarly views. She comes under the rulings on women in nifaas until either the nifaas stops or the forty days are over.

If her nifaas stops before or on the fortieth day (after the birth), then she should do ghusl and start praying and fasting, and it is permissible for her husband to have intercourse with her. If the bleeding continues after the fortieth day (after the birth), then this is irregular bleeding and she should not stop praying and fasting because of it, rather she should pray and fast during Ramadaan, and it is permissible for her husband to have intercourse with her – as is the case with a woman with istihaadah (irregular, non-menstrual bleeding).

She has to wash herself with water every time she uses the toilet, and use cotton pads etc. to absorb the bleeding, and she has to do wudoo’ for each and every prayer, because the Prophet SAW (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told women with istihaadah to do these things. But when her period comes, she should stop praying and fasting, and it is haraam for her husband to have intercourse with her until her period is over. And Allaah is the source of strength.

Fataawa Shaykh Ibn Baaz

What is the longest that nifaas (post-partum bleeding) can last?

Praise be to Allaah.

There is a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning that. 

1 – Most of the scholars said that the longest that nifaas can last is 40 days; if the bleeding lasts longer than that then it is istihaadah (irregular vaginal bleeding) unless it coincides with her regular period. This is the view of Abu Haneefah and Ahmad, according to one report, and is the well known view of his madhhab. This was also the ruling given by al-Tirmidhi in his Jaami’, narrating from Sufyaan, Ibn Mubaarak, Ishaaq and most of the scholars. 

2 – Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad, according to one report, said that the longest it may last is 60 days. 

3 – al-Hasan al-Basri said that it may last between forty to fifty days; if it lasts longer than that then it is istihaadah. 

4 – There are other opinions but these are cases of ijtihaad for which there is no saheeh evidence apart from the first view. It was proven that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: “The woman in nifaas should wait for approximately forty days.” (Narrated by Ibn al-Jaarood in al-Muntaqa). 

Ahmad, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah narrated via Massah al-Azdiyyah that Umm Salamah said: “At the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the woman in nifaas would wait for forty days…” 

There is some dispute concerning this isnaad. Ibn Qattaan classed it as da’eef (weak) in Bayaan al-Wahm wa’l-Ayhaam, as did Ibn Hazm. Al-Haakim classed it as saheeh and al-Nawawi and others classed it as hasan.

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Istidhkaar, with regard to the maximum period of nifaas there is no opinion to be followed  except the opinion of those who say that it is forty days. This is the view the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and there was no dispute among them concerning this matter. All other opinions are those of people other than the Sahaabah, and in our view no other opinion can be counted because the consensus of the Sahaabah is evidence for those who came after them. Usually everyone feels comfortable with their opinion; how could anyone hold a different view with no evidence from the Sunnah? This view is the correct one, and that is for a number of reasons: 

1-     It is the view of the Sahaabah and no one has the right to go against them.

2-     It is essential in this case to define a number of days during which a woman may remain in nifaas; it is not permissible to ignore the view of the Sahaabah and accept someone else’s view.

3-     This is the view of doctors who are specialized in knowledge of this bleeding. Their view coincides with that of Ibn ‘Abbaas and of most of the scholars.

 With regard to the minimum length of nifaas, most of the scholars have not set any limit for that. If the woman sees that she is pure (taahir) – which is when the bleeding stops – then she should do ghusl and start praying. 

Imaam Abu ‘Eesa al-Tirmidhi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Jaami’ that the view of the scholars among the Sahaabah, Taabi’een and those who came after them was that the woman in nifaas should not pray for forty days unless she sees that she is pure before that, in which case she should do ghusl and start praying.

Shaykh Sulaymaan ibn Naasir al-‘Alwaan