Islamic Rulings for Women in Nifās (Postnatal Bleeding) After Childbirth

What is the Ruling for a Woman in Postnatal Bleeding (Nifās) after Childbirth?
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri

❖ Question:​

What is the ruling for a woman who is experiencing nifās (postnatal bleeding) after childbirth?

❖ Answer:​

The blood of nifās is essentially the same as the blood of ḥayḍ (menstruation) and shares all the same rulings.


Here is a detailed comparison and explanation:

◈ Similarity Between Nifās and Ḥayḍ​

✔ Nifās blood is impure, just like menstrual blood.
✔ After nifās, ghusl (ritual bath) is obligatory, just like after menstruation.
✔ Sexual intercourse is ḥarām (prohibited) during nifās, just as it is during ḥayḍ.
✔ Enjoyment other than intercourse (i.e., touching, kissing, etc. excluding the private area) is permissible in both states.

◈ Scholarly Consensus​

❀ ʿAllāmah Ibn Qudāmah رحمه الله said:


"The rulings of nifās and ḥayḍ are the same. Whatever is prohibited for a menstruating woman is also prohibited for a woman in nifās. Whatever obligations are waived for a menstruating woman are also waived for a woman in nifās. There is no disagreement on this. Intercourse is prohibited, but other types of intimacy excluding the private part are permissible."
[Al-Mughnī: 1/362]


❀ Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said:


وطء النفساء كوطء الحائض حرام باتفاق الأئمة.
"Intercourse with a woman in nifās is prohibited, just like with a menstruating woman, by unanimous agreement of the scholars."
[Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā: 21/624]


❀ ʿAllāmah al-Shawkānī رحمه الله (d. 1250 AH) said:


قد وقع الإجماع على أن النفاس كالحيض في جميع ما يحل ويحرم ويكره ويندب.
"It is unanimously agreed that nifās is treated like ḥayḍ in everything that is permissible, impermissible, disliked, or recommended."
[Nayl al-Awṭār: 1/353]

◈ Specific Rulings​

Prohibited during nifās (as in ḥayḍ):

• Ṣalāh (prayer)
• Ṣawm (fasting)
• Recitation of the Qur’an
• Entering the masjid
• Ṭawāf (circumambulation of the Kaʿbah)

Ghusl is mandatory after nifās ends, just like after menstruation.
If nifās ends during the night, the woman must perform ghusl before Fajr and observe fasting the next day. The same applies to ḥayḍ.


If nifās ends after Fajr (even shortly), fasting that day is invalid, and qadā’ (make-up fast) is required.


If no blood appears after childbirth (including via C-section), ghusl is still obligatory.


If nifās ends and the woman starts bleeding again within 40 days, it is still considered nifās.
If bleeding continues beyond 40 days, that blood is not nifās but mustaḥāḍah (abnormal bleeding), and she must pray and fast.

◈ Divorce and ʿIddah During Nifās​

❀ Divorce (ṭalāq) given during nifās is valid, just as it is during ḥayḍ and pregnancy.


However, the days of nifās are not counted in the ʿiddah.


❀ Sayyidunā Zayd bin Thābit رضي الله عنه said:


إذا طلق الرجل امرأته وهي نفساء لم تعتد بدم نفاسها في عدة.
"If a man divorces his wife during nifās, she does not count the days of nifās in her ʿiddah."
[Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 5/159 – sanad ṣaḥīḥ]


So, after nifās ends, three menstrual cycles (ḥayḍ) are counted as the ʿiddah period.

◈ In Case of Miscarriage​

• If the miscarried fetus is formed and distinguishable, and blood follows, it is considered nifās.
• If the fetus is not developed, the blood is not nifās.
• A fetus is typically recognizable after 90 days of pregnancy.

Summary:​

① Nifās blood is treated the same as ḥayḍ in all legal rulings.
② Prayer, fasting, and sexual intercourse are prohibited.
③ Ghusl becomes obligatory after the bleeding ends.
④ If the woman bleeds again within 40 days, it is still nifās.
⑤ Beyond 40 days, the bleeding is not nifās but irregular bleeding.
⑥ No blood after childbirth still requires ghusl.
⑦ Divorce during nifās is valid, but those days are not counted in the ʿiddah.
⑧ In miscarriages, if the fetus is developed, the blood is nifās.