A woman in postpartum bleeding: how long she waits before her husband may have intercourse with her

Sayyiduna A'idh bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and one of those who took part in the Pledge of Ridwan. One of his wives had postnatal bleeding; she saw herself become pure after twenty days, so she performed the ritual bath (ghusl), then came and lay down with her husband under his blanket. He asked: "Who is this?" She said: "So-and-so." He said: "Were you not in postnatal bleeding?" His wife said: "I have become pure." He pushed her out of his blanket with his leg and said: "Do not deceive me about my religion; do not come until forty days have passed."

Sayyiduna Uthman bin Abi al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his wives: "During postnatal bleeding, do not present yourselves to me before forty days."

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A woman in postnatal bleeding remains (in that state) for forty days.

Al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A woman in postnatal bleeding waits forty days, then performs the ritual bath (ghusl) and prays.

Al-Sha'bi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: She waits two months; then she is like a woman with irregular bleeding (istihadah).

Al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A woman in postnatal bleeding does not wait more than forty days.

Ata (may Allah have mercy on him) said: She waits for the length of her habitual period, and she does not wait more than forty days.

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: A woman in postnatal bleeding waits about forty days.

Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: In the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), women in postnatal bleeding used to wait forty days, and we used to smear wars (a yellow plant) on our faces because of dark blemishes.