hadith of Uthman ibn Abi al-'As, that she (4) came to him before the forty days, and he said: Do not approach me (5). This is because he cannot be secure against the return of the blood during the time of intercourse, which would result in him having intercourse during a period of postpartum bleeding. This is by way of recommendation, for we have ruled that she is subject to the rulings of pure women, and for this reason, she is required to perform ghusl, pray (6), and fast. If the blood returns to her (7) within the period of forty days, there are two narrations regarding it. One of them is that it is part of her postpartum bleeding, and she should leave off fasting and prayer for it. Ahmad ibn al-Qasim narrated from him that he said: If the blood returns to her before the forty days, she should refrain from prayer and fasting, and if she becomes pure again, she performs ghusl, prays, and fasts. This is the opinion of 'Ata' and al-Sha'bi, because it is blood during the time of postpartum bleeding, so it is postpartum bleeding just like the first, and as if it were continuous. The second [narration] is that it is doubtful, so she should fast and pray, and then make up the fast as a precaution. This is the well-known narration from him, reported by al-Athram and others. Her husband must not approach her, and he only obligated her to perform the acts of worship during this [presence of] blood because its cause is certain, whereas the cessation [of the obligation] due to this blood is doubtful; therefore, certainty is not removed by doubt. He ordered her to make it up as a precaution because the obligation of prayer and fasting is certain, and the cessation of fasting due to her performing it during this blood is doubtful, so it is not removed by doubt. The difference between this blood and that which is in excess of six or seven days in the case of a woman who has forgotten her habit, where it is not obligatory to make up what she fasted during it while in doubt, is that the habit of women is usually six or seven days, and what exceeds that is rare, unlike postpartum bleeding; and because menstruation recurs, making it difficult to require making up the missed acts, whereas postpartum bleeding is different, as is the blood that exceeds the habit in menstruation. Malik said: If she sees blood after two or three days, it is postpartum bleeding, and if the time between them is long, it is menstruation. The companions of al-Shafi'i have two views regarding if she sees blood for a day and a night after a period of purity of fifteen days: one of them is that it is menstruation, and the second is that it is postpartum bleeding. Al-Qadi said: If she sees blood for less than a day and a night after a period of purity of fifteen days, it is blood of irregularity; she prays and fasts and does not make it up. This is the opinion of Abu Thawr. If the second blood is for a day and a night, the ruling is as we stated, that she fasts, prays, and makes up the fast. As for us, it is blood that occurred during the time of postpartum bleeding, so it is postpartum bleeding, just as if it had continued; there is no difference between a little of it and a lot of it, for the reason we mentioned. Whoever considered it menstruation has merely disagreed in terminology, as the ruling of menstruation and postpartum bleeding is the same. As for what she fasted during the period of purity, she does not have to repeat it.

Section: If a woman sees blood after passing something in which human formation is apparent, it is postpartum bleeding. He explicitly stated this. If she sees it after discharging a nutfa (drop) or an 'alaqa (clot) (9), it is not postpartum bleeding. If what is discharged is a mudgha (embryo) (10) in which nothing of human formation is apparent, there are two views regarding it: One of them is that it is postpartum bleeding because it is the beginning of a human creation, so it is postpartum bleeding, just as if human formation was apparent in it. The second is that it is not postpartum bleeding because human formation was not apparent in it, so it resembles the nutfa.

Section: If a woman gives birth to twins, our companions have two narrations from Ahmad regarding it: One of them is that the postpartum bleeding period is from the first, in its entirety, its beginning and its end. They said: This is the correct one. This is the opinion of Malik and Abu Hanifa. According to this, once the period of postpartum bleeding expires from the time she delivered the first, what follows it is not postpartum bleeding; because what is after the birth of the first is blood after childbirth, so it is postpartum bleeding, like a single [birth], and its end is from it, because its beginning is from it, so its end is from it, like a single [birth]. Our companions differed regarding the second narration. Al-Sharif Abu Ja'far and Abu al-Khattab said in "Ru'us al-Masa'il": It is that its beginning is from the first and its end is from the second. This is the opinion of al-Qadi in the book "Al-Riwayatayn", because the second was born, so the period of postpartum bleeding does not end before its completion through it, like a single [birth]. According to this, the duration of postpartum bleeding exceeds forty days in the case of one who gives birth to twins. Al-Qadi Abu al-Husayn said in his "Masa'il", and Abu al-Khattab in "Al-Hidayah": The second narration is that it is from the second only. This is the opinion of Zufar; because the period of postpartum bleeding is a period that is linked to childbirth,