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Q: After giving birth and starting the postpartum period, I had a Dilation and Curettage surgery causing me to bleed for only three days after which I became pure as there was no discharge of blood for five days during which I performed Salah (prayer). Although objected to by some people, I did not heed it and went on performing Salah. The bleeding resumed after the five days had passed, I stopped performing Salah for a period of time that I do not know. However, discharge of blood ceased again but I did not perform Salah this time on account of suspicion about being impure as the stoppage of bleeding was accompanied by a discharge of a yellow fluid. Because those living in the surrounding areas are not qualified to answer my inquiries in this regard, I did not ask anybody and remained in this perplexed state of mind for an unknown number of days. It was all through Allah’s predetermination that I asked Shaykh ‘Aly Mushrif the Imam of the Masjid (mosque) of Quba' who gave me the Fatwa that I have to perform Salah based on the Hadith reported on the authority of Um ‘Atiyyah Al-Ansariyyah who said: “We used not to count the brownish or yellowish discharge after purification as anything.” Afterwards, I performed Salah regularly till the postpartum period was over. What I want to ask about is: what should I do regarding the number of Salahs I did not perform, out of ignorance of course; do I have to make up for the Salah I missed, bearing in mind that I do not know their exact number, and how should I make up for them? Give me a Fatwa, may Allah guide you to that in which there is good for Muslims!

(Part No. 5; Page No. 424) A: All praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, and his family and Companions. Your performance of Salah during the five days in which blood ceased to discharge is valid and even obligatory. However, performance of Salah is neither obligatory nor valid during the period within forty days of giving birth in which blood is discharged, for being part of the postpartum bleeding. The period in which a white and yellowish fluid was discharged needs to be detailed. To clarify, if a white, not dark, fluid is discharged directly following bleeding, it will be judged to be pure. In such a case, if it is followed by a discharge of a yellowish fluid, it will make no difference and both kinds of discharges come under the same ruling as urine. This is based on the statement of Um ‘Atiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her), “We used not to regard brownish or yellowish discharge after purification as anything that mattered.” However, if a yellowish fluid alone or accompanied by a white fluid discharges directly following bleeding within the period of forty days, it is part of postpartum bleeding and performance of Salah during this period is neither obligatory nor valid.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.