1. After childbirth, the blood that comes out of the vagina is called nifaas. The maximum period of nifaas is forty days and there is no limit for the minimum period. Even if the blood stops flowing after half an hour or so, it will still be regarded as nifaas.

2. If after the birth of the child no blood comes out at all, even then it will be wajib to have a bath after the delivery.

3. If more than half the child came out but it has not come out completely as yet, then whatever blood comes out at that time will also be regarded as nifaas. If less than half the child came out, then whatever blood comes out at that time will be regarded as istihaada. If the mother is conscious and in her senses, then even at that time she has to offer her salaat. If she does not do so she will be sinful. If she cannot offer her salaat, she should read through gestures (ishaarah) and should not postpone her salaat. However, if by engaging in salaat, she fears for the life of the child, she should not offer her salaat.

4. A certain woman miscarried. If a few parts of the child have been formed, then whatever blood comes out after miscarrying will also be nifaas. But if no part at all has been formed, it will not be nifaas. If that blood could be regarded as haid, it will be haid. If not, it will be istihaada, e.g. the blood flows for less than three days or she has not completed the full fifteen days of purity as yet – it will be regarded as istihaada.

5. If the blood flows for more than forty days and this is the first time that she gave birth, then the forty days will be of nifaas and whatever extra days she bleeds will be istihaada. After the fortieth day she must have a bath and continue offering her salaat. She should not wait for the bleeding to stop.

If this is not the first time that she has given birth and she knows her previous habit as to how many days she had nifaas, then whatever may have been the number of days of nifaas will be regarded as nifaas and whatever is more than that will be istihaada.

6. A certain woman had the habit of nifaas for thirty days. However, thirty days passed and she did not stop bleeding as yet. She should not have a bath now. If the blood stopped on the fortieth day, then all these days will be regarded as nifaas. However, if it exceeds forty days, only thirty days will be of nifaas and all the rest of the days will be of istihaada. She should therefore immediately have a bath and make qada for the salaat of ten days.

7. If the blood of nifaas stops before forty days, she should immediately have a bath and commence offering her salaat. If bathing will be harmful to her, she should make tayammum and start offering her salaat. Under no circumstances should salaat be abandoned.

8. During nifaas, one is completely excused from offering salaat. Fasting is not excused. She will have to make qada of all missed fasts. The rules concerning fasting, salaat and sexual intercourse during haid are the same for nifaas.

9. If twins are born within a period of six months of each other, then the period of nifaas will be calculated from the birth of the first child. For example, if the second child is born after ten to twenty days or one or two months, nifaas will not be calculated from the second child but from the first.