Dalīl al-Ṭālib - Marʿi al-Karmi - (25)

Section
If the bleeding lasts more than fifteen days, she is deemed to be experiencing irregular bleeding (istihada). In that case she designates six or seven days of every lunar month as her menstruation, choosing whichever of the two she considers more likely when there is no distinguishing sign. After that she performs a full ritual bath, then fasts and prays, having first washed the affected area, bandaged it, and performed ablution at the time of each prayer, intending by that ablution to gain lawful access to worship.

Anyone who suffers from a continuous state of ritual impurity follows the same procedure.

It is unlawful to have intercourse with a woman in istihada, yet no expiation is required.

Post-partum bleeding (nifas) has no minimum duration; its maximum is forty days, and its rulings apply once she delivers something in which the human form can be recognized.1

If a period of cleanness occurs within those forty days, it is treated as purity, although intercourse during it is discouraged.

When a woman gives birth to two or more children, the nifas period is calculated from the first delivery; therefore, if forty days separate the births, there is no nifas for the second child.

The ruling concerning intercourse with a woman in nifas is the same as that for intercourse with a menstruating woman.2

A man may lawfully take medication that suppresses sexual intercourse, and a woman may take medicine either to induce menstruation or to halt it.

(1) In manuscript B the reading is "yatabayyanu"; the same occurs in N and J. (2) Nifas (post-partum bleeding) is treated like hayd (menstruation) with respect to what is forbidden and what is waived, except in the questions of ’idda (the waiting period) and bulugh (legal puberty). Hayd is one of the signs of bulugh, whereas nifas follows childbirth, does not establish bulugh, and is not counted in the period of ibla’ (the husband’s oath of abstention). The rules of ’idda apply to the menstruating woman, not to the woman in nifas. Both conditions, however, require ghusl (ritual bath), suspend the prayer obligation, and prohibit intercourse during their occurrence. From the marginal commentary on al-Manur, p. 156.

فصل ومن جاوز دمها خمسة عشر يوما فهي مستحاضة فتجلس من كل شهر ستا أو سبعا بتحر حيث لا تمييز ثم تغتسل وتصوم وتصلي بعد غسل المحل وتعصبه وتتوضأ في وقت كل صلاة وتنوي بوضوئها الاستباحة. وكذا يفعل كل من حدثه دائم. ويحرم وطئ المستحاضة ولا كفارة. والنفاس: لا حد لأقله وأكثره أربعون يوما ويثبت حكمه بوضع ما يتبين١ فيه خلق إنسان. فإن تخلل الأربعين نقاء فهو طهر لكن يكره وطؤها فيه. ومن وضعت ولدين فأكثر فأول مدة النفاس من الأول فلو كان بينهما أربعون يوما فلا نفاس للثاني. وفي وطء النفساء ما في وطء الحائض٢. ويجوز للرجل شرب دواء مباح يمنع الجماع وللأنثى شربه لحصول الحيض ولقطعه.

١ في "ب" "يتبين", وكذا في "ن", و"ج". ٢ النفاس كالحيض فيما يحرم ويسقط, إلا في العدة والبلوغ, فالحيض من علامات البلوغ, وأما النفاس, فلاحق للولادة, ولا يوجب بلوغا, ولا يحتسب عليه به في مدة الإبلاء, والعدة للحائض لا النفساء, ويشتركان في إيجاب الغسل. وترك الصلاة, وحرمة الوطء أثناهما. من التعليق على كتاب المنور "ص: ١٥٦".