𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 (309)

Postpartum Bleeding Exceeding Forty Days: Should a Woman Pray? Sheikh Rashād Adh-Dhali'ee hafidahullah said: She should wait until she experiences purity. The narrations which mention that a woman in nifās must wait a period of forty days before taking ghusl and resuming prayer are all weak. What's correct is that she should wait until she attains purity, even if the bleeding continues for fifty or sixty days. Some women may experience nifās for up to two months (sixty days) before attaining purity. In such cases, she should perform ghusl and resume prayer only after seeing the signs of purity. However, as long as she has not attained purity, she remains under the rulings of nifās. The duration of nifās varies among women. Some may experience it for less than forty days, while others may have a postpartum bleeding period as short as a week. Imam An-Nawawi (may Allāh have mercy on him) mentioned this, stating that it is known among certain groups of women. He noted that some women may have menstruation lasting only one day and some lasting a week, and this common among Kurdish women. If a woman attains purity, even after just one week of nifās, she is considered pure and must resume prayer. On the other hand, if her nifās extends beyond forty days and she has not yet seen the signs of purity, she should continue to refrain from prayer and fasting until she does. However, the common duration for nifās is forty days, if it extends beyond this without purity, she remains in the state of nifās until she sees purity.