QUESTION

My wife had postpartum bleeding that lasted continously for 25 days after delivery. On the 26th day the bleeding stopped and she started to make prayers. However after five days (that is on the 30th day after delivery) the bleeding started again and continued for about 5 days. On the 35th day the blood stopped and she started to pray but the blood appeared again on the 40th day. About four days ago it stopped and today is the 48th or 49th day after delivery. In other words beginning from the 25 th day from delivery the blood stops and comes again with the interval of five days. My wife does not know whether she should pray or wait for some more days in case the blood comes again.

ANSWER by Shaykh Wasee Allaah 'Abbaas, lecturer at the Ka'bah, instructor at Umm Al-Quraa University in Makkah

If the blood is actually black post-partum blood, then when it stops, she takes a bath and begins praying. If it starts up again after a week for example, then she refrains from praying once again.

However, if the blood is from istihaadhah [1], then she continues praying, making wudhoo' for each obligatory prayer. She prays the obligatory prayer along with any optional prayers before or after it with the same wudhoo'. Then when the time comes for another obligatory prayer, she makes another wudhoo' in order to pray it and the optional prayers before or after it.

FOOTNOTES

[1] Istihaadhah is bleeding that occurs beyond forty days after childbirth, and other irregular bleeding. It is not considered mensus blood, nor post-partum bleeding.

SOURCE

This was translated exclusively for www.bakkah.net from a handwritten answer provided by the shaykh, file no. AAWA026, dated 1423/7/20.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS