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Are the red discharges that appear after the cessation of postpartum bleeding and before forty days to be considered istihada (irregular bleeding) that necessitates ablution for each prayer, or could it be a return of nifas (postpartum bleeding) that prohibits prayer?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a woman in postpartum bleeding (nifas) sees purity, she must perform ghusl (ritual bath). If the blood returns again within the forty-day period, she is considered to be in nifas again. Reddish discharges during this period are considered nifas, and she must refrain from prayer until the bleeding stops. If the bleeding stops and she sees dryness or a white discharge (al-qassah al-bayda'), but she delays performing ghusl until the blood returns, then she must make up the prayers for that period after achieving purity. However, if the bleeding continues to flow, or if it is connected with a yellowish or brownish discharge, then nothing is required of her except to perform ghusl after it stops or after completing the forty days.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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