Nifaas

1. Nifaas is the blood which flows after childbirth.
2. The maximum period of nifaas is forty days. There is no minimum period of nifaas. After childbirth the blood which flows for even a minute is nifaas.
3. The ahkaam (injunctions) of nifaas are exactly the same as those of haidh.
4. The blood which flows from a pregnant woman before birth or during delivery of the baby [as long as half or more of the infant has not emerged] is not nifaas but istihaadhah.
5. The blood which exceeds the maximum period of 40 days is classified as follows:

      a. First occasion

If it happens to be the first occasion of childbirth, the blood in excess of forty days will be istihaadhah.

      b. Set nifaas period

If the woman has already given birth previously and has a fixed number of days as her nifaas period then whatever is in excess of her fixed period will be istihaadhah. For example: her previous nifaas period was 18 days, but on this occasion the blood flowed for 45 days. Her nifaas period on this occasion too will be 18 days. The rest, i.e. 27 days, will be istihadhah.

      c. No fixed period

She gave birth on previous occasions, but had no fixed number of days for her nifaas [and on each occasion her bleeding exceeded 40 days]. In this case, her nifaas will be 40 days and the excess will be istihaadhah.

6. If a set period of nifaas changes but does not exceed 40 days, the latest number of days will now be the new nifaas period. Example: A woman’s previous nifaas was 19 days. On this occasion the bleeding continued for 35 days. So now her new nifaas will be 35 days.
7. In the case of giving birth to twins, the nifaas is the blood which flows after the delivery of the first baby.
8. If after childbirth no blood flowed, then too it is waajib to make ghusl.

(From The Majlis Archives)