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Fatwa CenterBlood coming out of the womb before the fetus is fully formed
Question
My wife was two months pregnant when she experienced bleeding. I took her to hospital, and they told us that the fetus was dead and that my wife had to undergo a uterus cleaning surgery. My wife did not undergo the surgery back then. However, as time went by, the discharge of blood intensely increased. Before my wife underwent the surgery, blood had flown much more, which made her stop praying that day, thinking that she was not allowed to pray with such bleeding. She also withheld from praying for two weeks after the surgery as the blood kept flowing. Is she required to make up for the prayers of the day before the surgery and the days thereafter?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.
If a miscarriage occurs when the fetus has not yet stayed in its mother’s womb more than 81 days, then the blood coming out of the mother’s womb at the time of miscarriage and uterus cleaning is neither menstrual nor post-natal bleeding. Rather it is caused by illness. A woman can normally pray and fast while experiencing this sort of bleeding if she is able to. According to the preponderant view of Muslim scholars, her husband can even engage in sexual intercourse with her. This is because the minimum period of time for a baby to be fully formed in a mother’s womb is 81 days. This is the opinion adopted by the Hanbali scholars and it accords with the meaning stated in the Hadeeth quoted in this regard as well. Also, a pregnant woman does not usually experience menstruation, according to the preponderant view of Muslim scholars.
Based on this, prayer remains obligatory at the time of miscarriage and uterus cleaning. This is because we have decided that if a miscarriage occurs before the fetus is fully formed, then the bleeding is due to some illness. With this in mind, your wife is required to make up for the prayers that she missed after she saw the blood before and after the surgery. Here, we refer to the period in which the bleeding occurred because of the miscarriage.
Allaah Knows best.
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