127 – Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: “In the time of the Prophet ﷺ, a woman experiencing nifas (post-natal bleeding) would remain secluded for forty days after giving birth.” Reported by the Five compilers except al-Nasa’i; this wording is that of Abu Dawud. In another version of Abu Dawud it states, “and the Prophet ﷺ did not order her to make up the prayers missed during nifas.” Al-Hakim declared the report authentic.⦗1⦘

Hadith grading
Scholars differ regarding this tradition, yet the stronger view is that it is hasan li-ghayrihi (sound due to supporting chains). Several authorities—among them al-Tirmidhi, Ibn al-Qattan, and Ibn Hazm—deemed it weak on account of Massa al-Azdiyyah, whose reliability is unknown. Al-Nawawi rejected their judgment, pointing out that it has corroboration in Ibn Majah through Anas, though that chain contains Salam, who is weak, and another in al-Hakim from ‘Uthman ibn Abi al-‘As, though al-Darqutni criticized it and al-Hasan did not hear from ‘Uthman. Taken together, however, these reports strengthen one another. Al-Hakim authenticated the hadith and al-Dhahabi agreed. Al-Khattabi graded it hasan, and al-Bukhari spoke well of it.

Vocabulary
1 – Nifas (post-natal bleeding): Ibn Faris said the root letters n-f-s denote the emission of a breath or breeze; from it comes the phrase “may Allah relieve his distress.” Nifas also signifies childbirth itself. Al-Nawawi noted that the usual linguistic form nafistu (opening the nun and kasra on the fa’) means “I menstruated,” whereas for giving birth one says nufistu (damma on the nun, kasra on the fa’). Sharh al-Iqna‘ defines nifas blood as “the remainder of the blood that was retained during pregnancy for the sake of the fetus.”