Introduction
Menstruation and childbirth are among the matters that Allah made part of the natural characteristics of women. They are not a sign of weakness but part of the way Allah has created women. The Sharīʿah therefore addresses women directly, gives attention to such experiences, and establishes specific rulings concerning their prayer, fasting, purification, marital relations, and other acts of worship.
At the same time, pregnancy, childbirth, and the period of recovery can involve considerable physical weakness and emotional difficulty. During these times the believer turns to the guidance of revelation. She observes the rulings of Allah , takes the concessions He has legislated, remains patient, seeks His assistance, and takes permissible worldly means when they are required.
The concessions of the Sharīʿah are themselves a reflection of Allah’s mercy. A woman is not required to do what Allah has excused her from, nor should she feel guilty for accepting the ease He has granted her.
The husband likewise has been given an important role and responsibilities during these periods. A woman should not be expected to carry such difficulties without the support and comfort of her husband. Allah has commanded him to live with his wife according to al-maʿrūf, and the Prophet repeatedly commanded men to treat women well, to be gentle with them, and to exercise patience in dealing with them.
Furthermore, it is important that menstruation and the postpartum period are not approached with either of two extremes. A woman should not regard herself as spiritually excluded merely because she cannot perform certain acts of worship, while a husband should not regard the physical and emotional difficulties accompanying these periods as insignificant or blameworthy.
The following discussion brings together relevant Qurʾānic verses, authentic aḥādīth, statements from the classical scholars, and fatāwā of the scholars of the Sunnah, together with contemporary medical information where the subject concerns postnatal depression and postpartum psychosis.
May this discussion benefit women and their families, and help husbands and wives approach these periods with greater understanding and mercy.
1. Menstruation Is a Recognised State, Not a Degradation of the Woman
Allah says:
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْمَحِيضِ ۖ قُلْ هُوَ أَذًى فَاعْتَزِلُوا النِّسَاءَ فِي الْمَحِيضِ ۖ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوهُنَّ حَتَّىٰ يَطْهُرْنَ ۖ فَإِذَا تَطَهَّرْنَ فَأْتُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
“And they ask you concerning menstruation. Say: that is an adhā, therefore keep away from women during menstruation and go not unto them till they have purified themselves. And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah has ordained for you. Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves.” [Q 2:222]
Allah describes menstruation as adhā, referring to the harm, discomfort, or unpleasantness associated with menstruation. He does not describe the woman herself as an intrinsically impure person.
The distinction is important. Menstrual blood has specific rulings attached to it, but menstruation does not mean that the woman has become contemptible or inherently impure.
The exegete Ismāʿīl ibn ʿUmar ibn Kathīr (d. 774 AH/1373 CE) explains:
وَقَوْلُهُ: قُلْ هُوَ أَذًى أَيْ فِي فَرْجِهِنَّ وَهُوَ الدَّمُ
“His saying, ‘Say: it is adhā,’ meaning in their private parts, and it is the blood.” (Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm, commentary on [Q 2:222])
The ruling therefore concerns a specific state and specific acts. It is not a declaration that the woman herself has become something contemptible or impure by her very nature.
2. The Prophet Continued to Live Normally With His Menstruating Wives
The Prophet did not withdraw from or isolate his wives when they menstruated. Rather, he continued to interact with them as he normally would, demonstrating that menstruation did not make a woman someone to be avoided.
ʿĀʾishah said:
كُنْتُ أَشْرَبُ وَأَنَا حَائِضٌ، ثُمَّ أُنَاوِلُهُ النَّبِيَّ فَيَضَعُ فَاهُ عَلَى مَوْضِعِ فِيَّ فَيَشْرَبُ
“I would drink while I was menstruating, then I would give it to the Prophet and he would put his mouth where mine had been and drink.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 300)
This shows that the restriction concerning menstruation was specific. It did not mean that the woman was to be avoided, isolated, or treated as though she had become inherently impure.
The Prophet also said to ʿĀʾishah when she menstruated during the pilgrimage:
افْعَلِي مَا يَفْعَلُ الْحَاجُّ غَيْرَ أَنْ لَا تَطُوفِي بِالْبَيْتِ حَتَّى تَطْهُرِي
“Do what the pilgrim does, except do not perform ṭawāf around the House until you become pure.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 305; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1211)
This demonstrates that menstruation does not remove a woman from worship altogether. There are specific acts which she does not perform, but she remains a servant of Allah and continues to draw near to Him through the acts that remain permissible to her.
3. “Your Menstruation Is Not in Your Hand”
Among the most pertinent narrations for this subject is the statement of the Prophet to ʿĀʾishah .
The Prophet said:
يَا عَائِشَةُ نَاوِلِينِي الْخُمْرَةَ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ
“O ʿĀʾishah, pass me the khumrah from the mosque.”
She replied:
إِنِّي حَائِضٌ
“I am menstruating.”
He replied:
إِنَّ حَيْضَتَكِ لَيْسَتْ فِي يَدِكِ
“Your menstruation is not in your hand.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 298a)
The narration demonstrates that menstruation does not make the woman’s hand intrinsically impure. The Prophet did not instruct ʿĀʾishah to remain away from the object because she was menstruating. Rather, he clarified that her menstruation was not physically located in her hand. The restriction of menstruation therefore does not extend to every part of a woman’s body or to ordinary interaction with her.
Shaykh Muḥammad Nāṣir ad-Dīn al-Albānī (d. 1420 AH/1999 CE) placed particular emphasis upon this general principle when discussing the rulings concerning the menstruating woman. In a recorded answer, he argued that there is no explicit evidence from the Qurʾān or authentic Sunnah establishing a prohibition upon the menstruating woman touching or reciting the Qurʾān, and he therefore held to permissibility.
He said:
لا، لا نجد في الكتاب ولا في السنة ما يدل على منع الحائض والجنب من مسِّ القرآن أو تلاوته، بل لعلَّنا نجد من القواعد والأصول ما يدل على خلاف ذلك؛ ألا وهو الجواز
“No. We do not find in the Book or in the Sunnah anything indicating the prohibition of the menstruating woman or the person in a state of janābah from touching the Qurʾān or reciting it. Rather, perhaps we find within the principles and foundations [of Islamic jurisprudence] that indicate the opposite, namely permissibility.”
He continued by explaining that the basic principle is permissibility and that departing from this principle requires evidence.
This is the explicit position of al-Albānī and should be attributed to him as such. It should not be presented as though it represents the unanimous position of the scholars.
4. Al-Albānī and Touching the Muṣḥaf
There is a recognised difference of opinion among the scholars concerning whether the menstruating woman may physically touch the muṣḥaf.
The majority of the jurists prohibited touching the muṣḥaf without purification, while a number of scholars differed from this position on the basis of their assessment of the evidence.
Shaykh al-Albānī explicitly permitted the menstruating woman to touch the Qurʾān and recite it.
When asked whether a menstruating woman or a person in a state of janābah may touch the Qurʾān and recite it, he stated that he did not find evidence in the Book or authentic Sunnah establishing its prohibition. He therefore maintained that the basic ruling was permissibility.
In another recorded answer, he specifically distinguished the menstruating and postpartum woman from the person in a state of janābah.
He said:
بالنسبة للنفساء والحائض ما في أي غبار؛ لأن النفساء والحائض في حكم الشرع لسن كالجنب
“As for the postpartum woman and the menstruating woman, there is no problem whatsoever, because according to the Sharīʿah, the postpartum woman and the menstruating woman are not like the person in a state of janābah.”
He explained that the person in a state of janābah can remove that state through ghusl, whereas the menstruating and postpartum woman cannot simply remove her condition by performing ghusl.
He then said:
فأما المرأة الحائض أو النفساء فهي لا تستطيع أن تغتسل… ما دام ما باستطاعتك أن تغتسلي فاقرئي؛ وهذا الذي نحن نقول به
“As for the menstruating or postpartum woman, she is unable to [remove the state] by performing ghusl… Since you are unable to perform ghusl, then recite. And this is what we say.”
Thus, al-Albānī held that both the menstruating and postpartum woman may recite the Qurʾān and may touch the muṣḥaf.
This remains his individual scholarly position, and it should be presented as such.
5. The Position of Ibn Bāz
Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Bāz (d. 1420 AH/1999 CE) held a different position concerning physically touching the muṣḥaf, although he also held that the menstruating and postpartum woman may recite the Qurʾān from memory.
He was asked what the menstruating woman may do and stated:
هذا توهم لا ينبغي، الحائض مشروع لها ما يشرع لغيرها من ذكر الله عز وجل، وتسبيحه وتحميده وتهليله وتكبيره، والاستغفار والتوبة، وسماع القرآن ممن يتلوه، وسماع العلم، والمشاركة في حلقات العلم
“This is an assumption that should not be made. What is legislated for others is legislated for the menstruating woman: remembrance of Allah, glorifying Him, praising Him, proclaiming His oneness and greatness, seeking forgiveness and repentance, listening to the Qurʾān when it is recited, listening to knowledge, and participating in gatherings of knowledge.”
He then said:
فالحائض تشارك في كل شيء من الخير
“The menstruating woman participates in every form of good.”
He explains that she does not pray and does not fast during menstruation or nifās, but that she makes up the fast and does not make up the prayer. He also considers recitation from memory permissible.
He states elsewhere:
نعم يجوز لها أن تقرأ القرآن على الصحيح، لكن من دون مس المصحف عن ظهر قلب
“Yes, it is permissible for her to recite the Qurʾān according to the correct opinion, but without touching the muṣḥaf, from memory.”
Thus, the distinction should be made carefully:
Al-Albānī: permitted recitation and touching the muṣḥaf.
Ibn Bāz: permitted recitation from memory but did not permit touching the muṣḥaf.
Both scholars recognised that the menstruating woman remains capable of numerous forms of worship and that menstruation does not mean abandoning one’s relationship with Allah .
6. The Woman Does Not Make Up the Prayers She Misses
ʿĀʾishah was asked why menstruating women make up the fast but not the prayer.
She replied:
كَانَ يُصِيبُنَا ذَلِكَ فَنُؤْمَرُ بِقَضَاءِ الصَّوْمِ وَلَا نُؤْمَرُ بِقَضَاءِ الصَّلَاةِ
“That used to happen to us, and we were commanded to make up the fasts but were not commanded to make up the prayers.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 335c)
The ruling is therefore established by the Sunnah. A menstruating woman does not make up the prayers missed during menstruation.
ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn Aḥmad ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī (d. 795 AH/1393 CE) discusses the wisdom mentioned by the scholars for this distinction. One explanation is that prayer recurs every day, whereas the fast of Ramaḍān occurs only once a year.
He records:
جِنْسُ الصَّلَاةِ يَتَكَرَّرُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِنْ أَيَّامِ الطُّهْرِ
“The prayer is repeated every day during the days of purity.”
He further explains that requiring a woman to make up the large number of prayers missed during recurring periods of menstruation would cause considerable hardship, whereas making up the limited number of Ramaḍān fasts does not carry the same difficulty.
This explanation is a scholarly explanation of the wisdom behind the ruling. The ruling itself is established by the Sunnah of the Prophet .
The woman therefore should not burden herself with guilt over prayers which Allah has not required her to make up.
7. Nifās and the Postpartum Woman
The broad principle likewise applies to nifās.
The postpartum woman does not pray while she is experiencing nifās, and she does not subsequently make up the prayers which she missed during that state.
She does, however, continue to have access to the other forms of worship which remain legislated for her.
This is particularly relevant because the postpartum period can involve a significant period of physical recovery.
Al-Albānī specifically drew attention to this when discussing the recitation of the Qurʾān. He distinguished the postpartum and menstruating woman from the person in a state of janābah, noting that their condition may continue for a prolonged period and is not something which they can simply remove at will.
For this reason, he considered the prohibition of Qurʾānic recitation by the postpartum woman to lack sufficient evidence.
According to his position, therefore, a postpartum woman may recite the Qurʾān and touch the muṣḥaf.
According to Ibn Bāz, she may recite the Qurʾān from memory but should not physically touch the muṣḥaf.
The difference should be recognised without allowing the disagreement to obscure the broader point: the postpartum woman remains a worshipper of Allah .
8. She Remains a Worshipper During Menstruation and Nifās
Shaykh Ibn Bāz makes this point particularly clearly.
He states that the menstruating woman may engage in:
التسبيح والتحميد والتهليل والتكبير والاستغفار والتوبة
“Glorifying Allah, praising Him, proclaiming His oneness, proclaiming His greatness, seeking forgiveness, and repentance.”
He also mentions listening to the Qurʾān, attending gatherings of knowledge, listening to beneficial lessons, and participating in gatherings of knowledge.
He further states that a woman may send ṣalāh upon the Prophet while menstruating or experiencing nifās, just as she may remember Allah .
The period in which she cannot pray should therefore not become a period of abandoning worship altogether.
She can make dhikr. She can make duʿāʾ. She can seek forgiveness. She can listen to the Qurʾān. She can seek beneficial knowledge. She can teach beneficial knowledge. She can send ṣalāh upon the Prophet .
And according to the position of al-Albānī, she can also recite the Qurʾān and touch the muṣḥaf.
This is itself a reflection of the mercy of Allah . When He excuses a woman from certain acts of worship, He does not leave her without a means of drawing closer to Him. Rather, He has left many doors of worship open to her. Her inability to pray during menstruation or nifās is therefore not a period in which her connection with Allah must be interrupted. It is a period in which she worships Him through the acts He has left legislated for her.
9. Allah Has Legislated According to Human Ability
Allah says:
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
“Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope.” [Q 2:286]
The rulings concerning menstruation themselves provide a practical demonstration of this principle.
Allah has not commanded the menstruating woman to pray.
He has not commanded her to make up the prayers she misses.
She breaks her fast during menstruation and makes up the missed fasts later.
The Sharīʿah therefore does not disregard physical reality. It recognises it and legislates accordingly.
10. Pregnancy and Childbirth Involve Genuine Physical Weakness
Allah says:
حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ
“His mother bore him with weakness upon weakness.” [Q 31:14]
Ibn Kathīr explains:
وَهْنًا عَلَى وَهْنٍ أَيْ ضَعْفًا عَلَى ضَعْفٍ
“Wahnan ʿalā wahn, meaning weakness upon weakness.”
The Qurʾān itself therefore draws attention to the physical burden carried by the mother. Allah , who created the woman and knows what she experiences, has Himself described pregnancy as a period in which weakness is placed upon weakness. This is a recognition of the difficulty that accompanies carrying a child and should not be overlooked.
This does not mean that every emotion experienced after childbirth is automatically caused by childbirth, nor that every difficulty should be attributed to hormonal changes. Rather, it establishes something more fundamental: pregnancy and childbirth genuinely involve hardship and physical weakness.
That reality should be understood within the household.
A woman who has carried a pregnancy, given birth, and is recovering while caring for a newborn may experience a level of physical exhaustion which those around her should not dismiss.
This is part of the mercy and wisdom of the Sharīʿah.
11. The Husband Is Commanded to Live With His Wife According to Al-Maʿrūf
Allah says:
وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
“And live with them honourably.” [Q 4:19]
Ibn Kathīr explains:
أَيْ طَيِّبُوا أَقْوَالَكُمْ لَهُنَّ، وَحَسِّنُوا أَفْعَالَكُمْ وَهَيْئَاتِكُمْ بِحَسَبِ قُدْرَتِكُمْ، كَمَا تُحِبُّ ذَلِكَ مِنْهَا فَافْعَلْ أَنْتَ بِهَا مِثْلَهُ
“Meaning: speak good words to them and make your actions and appearance good according to your ability. Just as you would like that from her, then do the same for her.”
Good marital conduct is therefore not restricted to financial maintenance.
It includes one’s words, behaviour, appearance, and manner of interaction.
The command to live with one’s wife according to al-maʿrūf must also be understood according to circumstances.
A husband cannot reasonably treat a woman who has recently given birth exactly as though she were physically recovered, sleeping normally, and free from the demands of caring for an infant.
The practical application of al-maʿrūf takes circumstances into account.
12. As-Saʿdī on Al-Maʿrūf
The great exegete ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn Nāṣir as-Saʿdī (d. 1376 AH/1956 CE) explains al-maʿrūf as encompassing:
من الصحبة الجميلة، وكف الأذى، وبذل الإحسان، وحسن المعاملة
“Beautiful companionship, withholding harm, extending kindness, and good treatment.”
He also explains that what constitutes al-maʿrūf varies according to circumstances.
This has particular relevance to pregnancy, menstruation, and the postpartum period.
Good treatment cannot sensibly mean treating a woman who has recently given birth exactly as though she were physically recovered, sleeping normally, and free from the demands of caring for an infant. The realities of her condition should be considered in how her husband speaks to her and how he responds to her needs.
The practical expression of good companionship may therefore require additional patience, assistance, and consideration at particular times.
13. The Prophet Commanded Men to Treat Women Well
The Prophet said:
اسْتَوْصُوا بِالنِّسَاءِ خَيْرًا
“Treat women well.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1468a)
Abū Zakariyyā Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf an-Nawawī (d. 676 AH/1277 CE) explains this command:
فِيهِ الْحَثُّ عَلَى الرِّفْقِ بِالنِّسَاءِ وَاحْتِمَالِهِنَّ
“In it is an encouragement to be gentle with women and to exercise patience with them.”
This is a particularly important principle for the husband.
The Prophet did not simply tell men to provide materially for women. He commanded them to treat them well.
The instruction to exercise rifq and iḥtimāl, gentleness and patience, is especially relevant when ordinary human weakness places additional strain upon a marriage.
14. The Prophet Was an Example of Service Within His Home
ʿĀʾishah was asked what the Prophet did in his home.
She said:
كَانَ فِي مِهْنَةِ أَهْلِهِ
“He would serve his family.”
When the time for prayer came, he would leave for prayer. (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 6039)
Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī (d. 852 AH/1449 CE), commenting upon the narration, explains that al-mihnah refers to service to one’s family.
The Prophetic household therefore provides a powerful example.
The husband assisting his wife with practical household matters is not contrary to masculinity, qiwāmah, or Prophetic character. Furthermore, it is respectable and honourable. If he does it seeking the pleasure of Allah and following the example of His Messenger , his service to his family can itself be an act of worship for which he hopes to receive reward.
The Messenger of Allah was the leader of the Muslim Ummah, yet he served those within his household.
15. Ibn ʿUthaymīn on Mutual Marital Rights
Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn (d. 1421 AH/2001 CE) explained the rights of spouses through the principle of al-maʿrūf.
He said:
حق كل واحد على الآخر ما جرى به العرف والأعراف تختلف بحسب الأزمنة والأمكنة
“The right of each one over the other is what is established according to custom, and customs differ according to times and places.”
He then emphasised the husband’s responsibility for his wife’s food, drink, clothing, and accommodation.
This principle is useful when considering postpartum care because the concrete expression of assistance, household responsibilities, and support can vary between families and circumstances.
The principle itself, however, remains fixed: each spouse is to deal with the other according to al-maʿrūf.
16. Patience Is Required From the Husband
The Prophet’s command to treat women well includes gentleness and patience.
Allah says:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ
“Indeed, Allah is with those who are patient.” [Q 2:153]
Patience is therefore not merely a desirable quality in marriage. It is a quality that Allah has praised and connected with His special companionship and support.
This does not mean that a husband must regard every mistake as acceptable or that a wife has no responsibilities.
Rather, the husband is commanded to deal with ordinary human weakness through patience rather than responding to every difficulty with anger, contempt, or harshness.
A woman recovering from childbirth may be tired.
She may have disrupted sleep.
She may struggle physically.
She may find caring for a newborn exhausting.
She may experience emotional symptoms which she herself finds difficult to understand.
A husband should therefore distinguish between sinful behaviour requiring correction and weakness requiring patience and support.
This distinction is essential.
Not every difficult moment is an act of rebellion, and not every weakness should immediately be treated as a moral failure.
17. The Woman Also Has Responsibilities
The Islamic guidance is not one-sided.
Allah says:
وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
“And they have rights similar to those of their husbands over them to what is reasonable.” [Q 2:228]
Therefore, physical or emotional difficulty does not mean that everything a woman says or does becomes permissible.
She should strive to maintain her obligations, guard her tongue, avoid ẓulm (wrongdoing) towards her husband or children, seek Allah’s assistance, ask for help when she needs it, take legitimate means of treatment, and exercise patience according to her ability.
The correct Islamic approach is not to deny weakness, but neither is it to surrender to it.
A woman remains accountable according to her ability, while those around her are required to understand the reality of her circumstances.
18. Patience Does Not Mean Refusing Medical Treatment
The classical scholars speak extensively about patience, reliance upon Allah , and taking permissible means. However, these principles should not be understood as requiring a person to endure illness without seeking treatment.
Modern postnatal depression, however, is a medical diagnosis which was not described using this terminology by the classical scholars.
It would therefore be inaccurate to attribute statements about modern postnatal depression directly to Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Bāz, or Ibn ʿUthaymīn unless they actually addressed the particular condition.
Instead, their general principles should be applied alongside reliable medical knowledge.
The National Health Service describes postnatal depression as a common mental health condition which can occur after having a baby. Symptoms can include persistent low mood, difficulty enjoying things, hopelessness, guilt or feelings of worthlessness, anxiety, irritability, difficulty sleeping even when there is an opportunity to rest, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, difficulty bonding with the baby, and thoughts of suicide or harming oneself or one’s baby. Symptoms can begin during pregnancy, soon after birth, or up to a year after the baby is born.
A woman experiencing persistent or significant symptoms should therefore speak to her GP, midwife, health visitor, or an appropriate mental health professional.
Seeking treatment is not a deficiency in tawakkul. It is one of the permissible means that Allah has made available to His servants. Just as a person seeks treatment for a physical illness while relying upon Allah for healing, a woman may seek appropriate care for difficulties affecting her mental health while maintaining her reliance upon Him.
The believer can combine reliance upon Allah with taking the means which Allah has made available.
19. Postnatal Depression Should Not Automatically Be Attributed to Weak Īmān
A woman experiencing depression after childbirth should not simply be told:
“You need more īmān.”
Such a response is overly simplistic and may leave a woman feeling that her suffering is evidence of a spiritual deficiency.
A believer can experience illness, grief, exhaustion, and psychological difficulty.
The correct response combines spiritual and practical means.
She can increase her dhikr, duʿāʾ, istighfār, and reliance upon Allah while also seeking medical assessment and appropriate treatment.
The husband should similarly avoid assuming that every change in his wife’s behaviour is deliberate rebellion or a lack of gratitude.
He should first seek to understand what she is experiencing.
At the same time, genuine illness does not remove the need to address sinful behaviour where it exists.
The distinction between illness and sin must therefore be preserved.
20. Postpartum Psychosis Requires Urgent Help
Postpartum psychosis is considerably more serious.
The NHS describes postpartum psychosis as a serious mental illness which can develop suddenly, commonly within the first two weeks after childbirth. Symptoms can include hallucinations, delusions, mania, severe confusion, rapidly changing moods, and significant changes in behaviour. It is considered a medical emergency.
If there is an imminent risk of harm to the mother or baby, urgent emergency assistance should be sought.
A husband or family member should not interpret hallucinations, severe confusion, or delusions simply as a spiritual problem which can be solved by advising the woman to “have ṣabr.”
She requires medical intervention.
Spiritual support can accompany treatment, but it should not replace urgent medical care.
21. The Husband Should Learn to Recognise Genuine Weakness
The husband should understand that women can experience considerable physical difficulty around menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth.
This does not mean that every mood change is caused by menstruation or hormones.
Nor does it mean that a woman is incapable of controlling her behaviour.
Rather, it means that the husband should exercise wisdom before judging.
The Prophetic command remains:
اسْتَوْصُوا بِالنِّسَاءِ خَيْرًا
“Treat women well.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1468a)
An-Nawawī explains this through gentleness and patience.
A husband should therefore consider whether his wife needs correction, encouragement, rest, assistance, medical support, or simply patience.
These are not interchangeable.
Wisdom is knowing which is required.
22. The Husband Should Assist His Wife
The Prophetic household provides an important example.
ʿĀʾishah said:
كَانَ فِي مِهْنَةِ أَهْلِهِ
“He would serve his family.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 6039)
The commentators explain this as service to the members of his household.
Therefore, assisting a wife after childbirth should not be viewed as beneath the dignity of a husband.
It is from the Prophetic example.
The husband should not imagine that qiwāmah means refusing to assist his family. Rather, qiwāmah is a responsibility and trust. It requires the husband to fulfil his obligations towards those under his care.
23. The Husband Should Not Use Religion to Burden His Wife
The woman who is menstruating or experiencing nifās is already following a ruling of Allah when she leaves the prayer.
She does not need to be made to feel guilty for something which Allah Himself has excused.
Shaykh Ibn Bāz explicitly states:
الله سامحها، سامح الحائض والنفساء الصلاة فلا تقضيها
“Allah has excused her. Allah has excused the menstruating and postpartum woman from the prayer, so she does not make it up.”
The husband should therefore encourage his wife towards the worship which remains legislated for her rather than making her feel that she is religiously deficient.
24. The Woman Should Not Feel Spiritually Abandoned
The woman herself should understand this carefully.
If she cannot pray, Allah has commanded her not to pray.
If she cannot fast because of menstruation, Allah has permitted her to break the fast and make it up later.
If she is physically exhausted, she should take reasonable means to rest and recover.
If she experiences nifās, she continues with the worship which remains legislated for her.
According to Shaykh Ibn Bāz, this includes dhikr, tasbīḥ, taḥmīd, tahlīl, takbīr, istighfār, listening to the Qurʾān, and seeking beneficial knowledge.
According to Shaykh al-Albānī, she may additionally recite the Qurʾān and touch the muṣḥaf.
Thus, the period in which she cannot pray need not become a period of spiritual distance.
Indeed, she can use this period to increase in those forms of worship which remain available to her.
25. Practical Guidance for the Believing Woman
During menstruation and nifās, a woman should understand that she remains a servant of Allah .
She should continue with whatever worship is legislated for her.
She should increase her dhikr, duʿāʾ, and istighfār.
She should listen to beneficial knowledge.
She should maintain her connection with the Qurʾān according to the position she follows from the scholars.
She should not burden herself with making up prayers which Allah has not required her to make up.
She should be patient with physical weakness.
She should ask her husband or family for help when genuinely needed.
She should seek medical advice when symptoms become persistent or concerning.
She should not interpret every period of weakness as evidence that Allah has abandoned her.
And she should remember that obedience sometimes consists in doing what Allah has commanded, and at other times in leaving what Allah has temporarily prohibited.
26. Practical Guidance for Husbands
The husband should remember that qiwāmah is responsibility, not licence for harshness.
He should provide what his wife requires according to his ability and circumstances.
He should assist her when she is genuinely struggling.
He should avoid humiliating her because she is tired.
He should not mock menstruation, postpartum bleeding, or physical weakness.
He should not treat his wife as though she has become impure because she is menstruating.
He should learn the relevant rulings so that he does not burden her with obligations which Allah has not placed upon her.
He should encourage worship without turning worship into a weapon.
He should listen when she says that she is struggling.
And when there is evidence of genuine illness, he should help her obtain appropriate treatment.
This is closer to the Prophetic model of rifq, iḥsān, and al-muʿāsharah bi-l-maʿrūf.
27. Patience Does Not Mean Tolerating Abuse
It is also necessary to establish an important boundary.
The command to be patient does not mean that a woman must accept abuse, nor does it mean that a husband must accept persistent sinful conduct without attempting to rectify it.
Both spouses have rights, and each is commanded to fulfil those rights according to al-maʿrūf.
Therefore, where serious marital problems exist, the couple should seek appropriate reconciliation and qualified advice rather than allowing resentment to accumulate.
The existence of physical or emotional hardship does not abolish marital rights. At the same time, the existence of marital rights does not justify cruelty, humiliation, or abuse.
The principles of justice, mercy, and al-maʿrūf must remain together.
28. A Period of Hardship Can Become a Period of Reward
The Muslim does not regard hardship as meaningless.
Allah says:
إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
“Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full, without reckoning.” [Q 39:10]
The Prophet also said:
إِذَا أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ قَوْمًا ابْتَلَاهُمْ
“When Allah loves a people, He tests them.” (Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī, no. 2396)
The believer should also recognise that being tested is not, in itself, an indication of rejection or displeasure from Allah . Rather, we are taught that trials may be among the signs of Allah’s love for His servants. There is therefore honour in enduring a trial with ṣabr, knowing that the believer may be experiencing hardship while remaining among those whom Allah loves.
The woman experiencing physical difficulty can therefore seek reward through patience.
The husband caring for his wife can seek reward through good treatment.
The wife exercising patience with her husband can seek reward through patience.
The husband exercising patience with his wife can seek reward through patience.
The newborn who requires constant attention can become a means of reward rather than merely an interruption to one’s routine.
The believer therefore looks beyond the immediate difficulty towards Allah .
29. The Family Should Help Rather Than Isolate
Postpartum recovery is not something a woman should necessarily be expected to manage entirely by herself.
The Prophetic household demonstrates companionship and practical involvement.
Contemporary medical guidance likewise recommends seeking practical support with childcare and household responsibilities when postnatal depression is present.
This is therefore an area where Islamic guidance and sound medical advice converge upon a practical principle:
A woman who is struggling should not be left to struggle unnecessarily.
The husband, family, and trusted people around her should help her recover while maintaining the boundaries of the Sharīʿah.
30. Conclusion
Menstruation and nifās are not states in which a Muslim woman becomes worthless, abandoned, or spiritually disconnected.
They are states for which Allah has legislated specific rulings.
The menstruating woman does not pray.
She does not make up those prayers.
She breaks her fast during menstruation and makes up the missed fasts.
She continues with dhikr, duʿāʾ, istighfār, and other forms of worship which remain legislated.
She remains a believer.
She remains a worshipper.
She remains deserving of kindness and good companionship.
And her husband remains commanded to treat her according to al-maʿrūf.
The Prophet said:
اسْتَوْصُوا بِالنِّسَاءِ خَيْرًا
“Treat women well.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1468a)
An-Nawawī explained this command through:
الرِّفْقِ بِالنِّسَاءِ وَاحْتِمَالِهِنَّ
“Gentleness towards women and patience with them.”
The Prophet also served his family:
كَانَ فِي مِهْنَةِ أَهْلِهِ
“He would serve his family.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 6039)
These are not merely sentimental ideals. They are Prophetic guidance.
The woman, meanwhile, should not feel that her inability to pray during menstruation or nifās represents spiritual failure. Allah Himself legislated this ruling.
When the difficulties of childbirth extend beyond ordinary physical exhaustion into persistent depression or serious psychological symptoms, the Muslim does not abandon either religion or medicine. She turns to Allah while taking the permissible means of treatment. Her husband should assist her rather than reducing every difficulty to a question of īmān.
In particular, severe symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, profound confusion, or rapidly changing behaviour following childbirth require urgent medical assessment because postpartum psychosis is a medical emergency.
The balanced approach is therefore one of ʿibādah, patience, knowledge, mercy, and taking the appropriate means.
The woman observes the limits of Allah .
The husband fulfils his responsibility towards his wife.
Both spouses strive to speak and behave according to al-maʿrūf.
And both remember that hardship, when met with patience and obedience, can itself become a means of drawing nearer to Allah .
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Post Description: A balanced guide to menstruation, nifās, worship, postpartum recovery, and the responsibilities of husbands and wives, drawn from the Qurʾān, Sunnah, and statements of the scholars.
