The Maximum Duration of Postpartum Bleeding (Nifas)

The Maximum Duration of Postpartum Bleeding (Nifas)

This serves as an answer to several questions we have received from women. Some ask: what should be done if a woman still sees blood spotting after 40 days? Some even experience bleeding that has not stopped despite exceeding 40 days. What stance should a woman take when encountering such a situation?

If this occurs after the 40th day of the postpartum period, the ruling refers back to the maximum limit of nifas for women. If no limit is set, it is possible that the flow is no longer nifas blood, but rather istihadhah (non-menstrual bleeding). Scholars hold differing views regarding the maximum limit of nifas blood.

The First Opinion

The maximum limit of nifas is 40 days. This is the opinion of the Hanafi and Hanbali schools. It is also the view of Ishaq bin Rahuyah, At-Thawri (1), Layth bin Sa’ad, one view within the Maliki school (2), one view of Al-Awza’i (3), and an opinion attributed to Ash-Shafi'i (4)—though this attribution is denied by some Shafi'is (5). It is also the view of Abu Bakr Al-Muzani, a primary student of Ash-Shafi'i (6). Al-Khatthabi (from the Shafi'i school) and Ibn Rushd (from the Maliki school) mentioned that this is the opinion of the majority of jurists (7).

Imam Al-Kasani from the Hanafis stated:

أَكْثَرُ النِّفَاسِ فَأَرْبَعُونَ يَوْمًا عِنْدَ أَصْحَابِنَا

"The maximum period of nifas is forty days according to our companions (the school)." (Al-Badai’ As-Shanai’, 1/41)

Imam Az-Zarkasyi from the Hanbalis stated:

قَالَ: "وَأَكْثَرَ النِّفَاسِ أَرْبَعُونَ يَوْمًا"، ش: "هَذَا هُوَ الْمَذْهَبُ الْمُخْتَارُ وَالْمَعْرُوفُ مِنَ الرِّوَايَاتِ"

"Al-Khiraqi said: 'The maximum of nifas is forty days.' Commentary: 'This is the chosen madzhab (Hanbali) and what is known from the various narrations (from Ibn Hanbal).'" (Syarh ‘ala Mukhtashar Al-Khiraqi, 1/440)

Imam Al-Hatthab Al-Maliki cited Imam Ibnu Naji Al-Maliki:

سَمِعْتُ شَيْخَنَا يَعْنِي الْبُرْزُلِيّ يَنْقُلُ غَيْرَ مَا مَرَّةٍ أَنَّ بَعْضَ أَهْلِ الْمَذْهَبِ حَكَى قَوْلًا فِي الْمَذْهَبِ بِاعْتِبَارِ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً كَمَذْهَبِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ

"I heard our Sheikh, Al-Burzuli, mention several times that some experts of the (Maliki) school cited another opinion within the school considering forty nights, similar to the school of Abu Hanifah." (Mawahib Al-Jalil, 1/376)

Evidence for the First Opinion: The evidence is the statement of the wife of the Prophet, Ummu Salamah:

كَانَتْ النُّفَسَاءُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - تَجْلِسُ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا، وَكُنَّا نَطْلِي وُجُوهَنَا بِالْوَرْسِ مِنْ الْكَلَفِ

"The women in postpartum bleeding during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to wait for forty days. We used to apply wars (a yellow plant) to our faces because of skin spots (caused by the sun or pregnancy)." (Narrated by Abu Dawud: 311, At-Tirmidhi: 139, and Ibn Majah: 648)

And the consensus (ijma’) of the Companions. Imam At-Tirmidhi stated:

وَقَدْ أَجْمَعَ أَهْلُ العِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَالتَّابِعِينَ، وَمَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنَّ النُّفَسَاءَ تَدَعُ الصَّلاَةَ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا، إِلاَّ أَنْ تَرَى الطُّهْرَ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ، فَإِنَّهَا تَغْتَسِلُ وَتُصَلِّي، فَإِذَا رَأَتِ الدَّمَ بَعْدَ الأَرْبَعِينَ فَإِنَّ أَكْثَرَ أَهْلِ العِلْمِ قَالُوا لاَ تَدَعُ الصَّلاَةَ بَعْدَ الأَرْبَعِينَ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُ أَكْثَرِ الفُقَهَاءِ

"The scholars among the Companions of the Prophet, the Tabi’in, and those after them have agreed that a woman in nifas must leave prayer for forty days, unless she sees purity before that; in which case she must bathe and pray. If she sees blood after forty days, the majority of scholars say she should not leave prayer after forty days. This is the opinion of the majority of jurists." (Al-Jami’ Al-Kabir, 1/204)

Imam Al-Jauhari stated:

وَأَجْمَعَ الصَّحَابَةُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَ مُدَّةِ الْإِنْفَاسِ إِذَا لَمْ يَنْقَطِعِ الدَّمُ أَرْبَعُونَ يَوْمًا، وَإِنَّمَا جَاءَ الْخِلَافُ مَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ

"The Companions reached a consensus that the maximum duration of postpartum bleeding, if the blood does not stop, is forty days. Disagreement only arose among those after them." (Nawadir Al-Fuqaha, Chapter on Purification)

There is a slight difference between the Hanafis and Hanbalis regarding menstrual habits. According to the Hanafis, blood exiting after 40 days is considered istihadhah (8). The Hanbalis, however, link it to the timing of her regular menstruation. If the bleeding exceeding 40 days coincides with her menstrual period, it is considered menstruation (haidh); if not, it is istihadhah. This means that according to the Hanbalis, a woman whose bleeding exceeds 40 days does not necessarily purify herself and pray immediately; she must first check if it coincides with her menstrual cycle. If it does, she cannot yet pray. According to the Hanafis, the woman can immediately bathe and pray even if blood continues, as it has exceeded the 40-day limit, regardless of her menstrual cycle.

The Second Opinion

The maximum duration of nifas is 60 days. This is the opinion of the Maliki school, the famous view in the Shafi'i school, Abu Thawr, one view of Al-Awza'i (9), and one narration from Ahmad bin Hanbal (10). Among the Tabi’in who held this view are As-Sya’bi, Atha bin Abi Rabah (11), and Salim bin Abdullah bin Umar (12). This view is favored by Ibn Al-Uthaymeen among contemporary Hanbalis (13).

Imam Ibn Rushd Al-Hafid (Maliki) stated:

وَأَمَّا أَكْثَرُهُ فَقَالَ مَالِكٌ مَرَّةً، هُوَ سِتُّونَ يَوْمًا، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ، يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ النِّسَاءُ، وَأَصْحَابُهُ ثَابِتُونَ عَلَى الْقَوْلِ الْأَوَّلِ

"As for its maximum period, Malik said on one occasion, 'It is sixty days.' Then he retracted that and said, 'Women should be asked about it (as they understand it better).' However, his followers remained firm on the first opinion (60 days)." (Bidayah Al-Mujtahid, 1/58)

Imam An-Nawawi (Shafi'i) stated:

أَمَّا حُكْمُهُ فَمَذْهَبُنَا الْمَشْهُورُ الَّذِي تَظَاهَرَتْ عَلَيْهِ نُصُوصُ الشَّافِعِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ وَقَطَعَ بِهِ الْأَصْحَابُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَ النِّفَاسِ سِتُّونَ

"As for its ruling, our famous madzhab—as evident from the texts of Ash-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) and agreed upon by his companions (the school)—is that the maximum of nifas is sixty (days)." (Al-Majmu’ Syarh Al-Muhaddzab, 2/522)

Although this is the Maliki school's view, Imam Malik himself eventually abandoned it, as hinted by Ibn Rushd above. Imam Ibnu Al-Qasim stated:

كَانَ مَالِكٌ يَقُولُ فِي النُّفَسَاءِ، أَقْصَى مَا يُمْسِكُهَا الدَّمُ سِتُّونَ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ آخِرَ مَا لَقِينَاهُ...

"Malik used to say regarding women in nifas, 'The furthest the (nifas) blood holds a woman is sixty days.' Then he retracted this in the last of our meetings with him and said, 'I believe women or people with experience should be asked about this, and she waits after that (following their answer).'" (Al-Mudawwanah, 1/153)

Evidence and Reasoning for the Second Opinion: This opinion does not rely on any naql (transmitted text) from the Qur'an, Sunnah, or the Companions. It relies solely on the statements of the Tabi’in mentioned above, arguing that the hadith of Ummu Salamah describes the usual duration, not the absolute maximum limit.

Imam Atha and Imam As-Sya’bi (Tabi’in) stated:

إِذَا طَالَ بِهَا الدَّمُ تَرَبَّصَتْ مَا بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ سِتِّينَ ثُمَّ تَغْتَسِلُ وَتُصَلِّي

"If the duration of bleeding is prolonged, she should wait between her delivery and sixty days, then she must bathe and pray." (Reported by Al-Baihaqi in As-Sunan Al-Kubra: 1613).

Imam Salim bin Abdullah bin Umar (a leading Tabi’in in Medina) was asked about the maximum limit for a woman in nifas to leave prayer. He replied:

تَتْرُكُ الصَّلَاةَ شَهْرَيْنِ فَذَلِكَ أَكْثَرُ مَا تَتْرُكُ الصَّلَاةَ ثُمَّ تَغْتَسِلُ وَتُصَلِّي

"She may leave prayer for two months. That is the maximum she may leave prayer, then she must bathe and pray." (Reported by Sahnun in Al-Mudawwanah, 1/154)

According to this view, the woman only abstains from prayer, fasting, and other obligations for 60 days. If blood continues after 60 days, it is considered istihadhah. Consequently, under this view, if blood continues past 40 days, she is still forbidden from praying and fasting until 60 days.

The Third Opinion

There is no specific fixed limit. This is the apparent final opinion of Imam Malik (14) and the view favored by Ibn Taymiyyah (15).

Imam Ibnu Al-Qasim stated:

وَقَدْ كَانَ حَدَّ لَنَا قَبْلَ الْيَوْمِ فِي النُّفَسَاءِ سِتِّينَ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ... فَقَالَ، أَكْرَهُ أَنْ أَحُدَّ فِيهِ حَدًّا وَلَكِنْ يُسْأَلُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ أَهْلُ الْمَعْرِفَةِ

"Malik had previously set a time limit for us for nifas at sixty days, then he retracted it in our final meeting. He said: 'I dislike setting a specific limit for this. Rather, those with experience should be asked, and their answer should be adopted.'" (Al-Mudawwanah, 1/154)

Evidence and Reasoning for the Third Opinion: The reasoning is that women vary in their postpartum experiences; some are short and some are long. There is no explicit evidence from the Qur'an or Sunnah establishing a maximum duration. Existing texts describe the usual duration experienced by women, not the absolute maximum (16). Imam Malik thus defers the limit to the experience of women and those knowledgeable in the matter.

Conclusion

The more cautious (ihtiyath) (17) opinion is that of the majority of scholars (the first opinion): the maximum limit for nifas is 40 days. This is supported by the statements of the Companions—which reached consensus among them (18)—and a marfu’ hadith (19). Therefore, following this opinion, if a woman continues to bleed after 40 days, she is still obligated to perform prayer and fasting. Wallahu a’lam bi as-shawab.

Important Note

Some women mistakenly believe they must wait until 40 days even if the bleeding stops earlier. They leave prayer and fasting despite their wombs being clear, simply because they haven't reached day 40. This is a fatal error caused by a lack of knowledge and shallow understanding of the Shari'a, as leaving prayer and fasting is a grave sin. If the nifas blood stops, a woman must immediately purify herself and perform her religious obligations, even if it is before 40 days.

Imam Al-Hatthab Al-Maliki stated:

قَالَ ابْنُ نَاجِي فِي شَرْحِ الْمُدَوَّنَةِ، وَلَا خِلَافَ أَعْلَمُهُ بَيْنَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَنَّهُ إذَا انْقَطَعَ دَمُ النِّفَاسِ أَنَّهَا تَغْتَسِلُ... وَهُوَ جَهْلٌ مِنْهُمْ

"Ibnu Naji said in Syarh Al-Mudawwanah: 'There is no disagreement I am aware of among scholars that if the nifas blood stops, she must bathe. The belief among some commoners in Africa that she must wait forty days even if the blood stops is ignorance on their part.'" (Mawahib Al-Jalil, 1/376)

In Indonesia, this misunderstanding is also widespread. Some women casually leave prayer and fasting under the pretext of not being "40 days complete" yet, even though the bleeding has totally stopped. This is a clear deviation and a grave mistake. Those who have done this must make up (qadha) the prayers they missed due to this erroneous understanding.

Wallahu a’lam.