GF The Woman Whose Bleeding Returns While She is Fasting

The Woman Whose Bleeding Returns While She is Fasting Question: If the woman with postnatal bleeding becomes pure within a week, then she fasts with the Muslims during Ramadhaan for a number of days, then her bleeding returns, does she break her fast in this situation? Does she have to make up for the days that she fasted and the days that she broke her fast?

Answer: If the woman with postnatal bleeding becomes pure within forty days and she fasts some days, then her bleeding returns during the forty days, her fast is correct. She must leave off the prayer and fasting during the days that her bleeding returned – because it is postnatal bleeding – until she becomes pure or completes the forty days. When she completes the forty days she must bathe, even if she does not think she is pure, because the forty days is the end of the postnatal bleeding according to the correct view between the two opinions of the scholars. After that she must make Wudhu’ for the time of each prayer until the bleeding stops, as the Prophet (saw) commanded the woman with a prolonged flow of menstrual blood to do. Her husband may enjoy sexual relations with her after the forty days, even if she does not think she is pure. This is because the (postnatal) blood and the situation mentioned is not (postnatal) blood that does not prevent the prayer and fasting, nor does it prevent the husband from his sexual enjoyment with his wife. However, if after the forty days the bleeding coincides with her normal time of menstruation, then she leaves off the prayer and fasting and she considers it a menstrual cycle. And Allaah is the Giver of Success.

(Shaikh Ibn Jibreen)