As for blood that appears during the middle of pregnancy, or toward its end but without labor pains, it counts for nothing. She should pray and fast, and none of the matters prohibited to a woman in postnatal bleeding are prohibited to her.

The evidence that ghusl is obligatory because of postnatal bleeding is that it is a type of menstruation. For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ referred to menstruation as nifās (postnatal bleeding) when he said to Aisha, upon her menstruating, “Perhaps you have begun your postnatal bleeding.” (1)

The scholars have unanimously agreed that ghusl is obligatory after postnatal bleeding, just as it is after menstruation.

Nor is a birth unaccompanied by blood [a cause requiring ghusl]. Whoever is required to perform ghusl is forbidden from reciting the Quran, ..........

His statement, “Nor is a birth unaccompanied by blood”: “nor” is a conjunction indicating negation; that is, a birth unaccompanied by blood does not necessitate ghusl. Thus, if a woman gives birth and no blood emerges from her, she is not required to perform ghusl, because nifās (postnatal bleeding) is blood, and there is no blood in this case. This is very rare.

Some scholars said that ghusl is obligatory, and that childbirth itself is the cause requiring it. (2)

They reasoned that the absence of blood with childbirth is rare, and what is rare is not subject to a ruling; and that the woman will experience the same strain, hardship, and fatigue that she experiences when giving birth with bleeding.

His statement, “Whoever is required to perform ghusl is forbidden from reciting the Quran”: “whoever” is a jussive conditional noun; the conditional clause is “is required,” and its apodosis is “is forbidden.” Conditional nouns