The view that appears strongest to me is that if the bleeding continues in the same consistent manner, she remains in postnatal bleeding until the completion of sixty days, and it does not extend beyond that.

According to either assessment—sixty days, or forty days according to the second view—if the bleeding exceeds that, we say: if it coincides with her usual menstrual cycle, then it is menstruation.

For example, a woman completes forty days on the first day of the month, and before pregnancy her usual cycle was for menstruation to come on the first day of the month and continue for six days. If the bleeding continues from the first through the sixth day, we regard these days as menstruation, because they coincide with her usual cycle. Once it has exceeded the maximum duration of postnatal bleeding, it takes the ruling of irregular bleeding. It has previously been mentioned that a woman with irregular bleeding who has an established cycle refers back to her usual cycle (1); thus, we refer this woman back to her usual cycle.

But if it does not coincide with her usual cycle, then it is invalid bleeding, on account of which she does not refrain from fasting or prayer. As for the minimum duration of postnatal bleeding, it has no fixed limit. In this respect it differs from menstruation: according to the jurists, the minimum duration of menstruation is one day and one night, whereas postnatal bleeding has no minimum limit.

Whenever she becomes pure before then, she performs ghusl and prays. Intercourse with her before forty days have elapsed, after she has performed purification, is disliked, .............

His statement, “Whenever she becomes pure before then,” means: whenever a woman in postnatal bleeding becomes pure before the maximum duration of postnatal bleeding. This occurs when the bleeding stops, and a woman recognizes purity.

His statement, “she performs purification,” means: she performs ghusl.

His statement, “and prays,” means both obligatory and voluntary prayers: the obligatory prayers as a duty, and the voluntary prayers as a recommended act.