Women's Issues

Purdah from non-mahrams

Q:

1. I would like to know who is regarded as your mahram and who do you keep pardah from? Are milk brothers and sisters classified as mahrams? What happens if the lady who fed both of them pass away?

2. Is my step brother (both from my mother and father) classified as a mahram for my daughter?

3. Can a woman travel without a Mahram and what is the sin for doing this?

4. What is the sin for talking or even touching a non-mahram?

Bleeding after a miscarriage

Q: I understand that after a miscarriage, the blood will be considered nifas if the miscarried fetus had any sort of physical development, like a limb has been formed. Approximately how many weeks is this at? I’ve heard that it should be a minimum of 3 months. Also, is the heart beat considered? If no limb has formed but the heart beat can be heard? Because the heart beat can be heard very early in the pregnancy.

Making dua after nifaas

Q: Relatives are telling me that when my 40 days of nifaas (postpartum) are over, my husband should make a prayer or dua as it is what the elders have done. I am asking if this is stated in any hadith and if it is required to do so.

Spotting after abortion

Q: I have questions related to Islamic activities like prayer, reciting Quran and fasting, sexual relations, etc. My wife was pregnant for 2 month's but the growth of the embryo has stopped after 1 month(4 weeks). After 2 month's we came to know the problem and the doctor advised to get D&C (abortion). Now even after 12 days, her menstrual cycle has not started and she is just spotting after 1 or 2 days on her pad. I want to know Islamically, do we consider it as menstrual bleeding or istihada?

Whitish discharge after haidh

Q: I am unsure of how to count my period days as, usually, even when I am not bleeding or on my period I have a small amount (the size of a two rand coin approx) slightly yellow/cream colored discharge or perhaps this may even be from sweat as I don't feel it coming out. So, when I count my period days, towards the end of my period about 8 days in, I see this yellow/cream color on my sanitary towel. Would this be considered as the end of my Haidh as it is the normal color that is always on my sanitary liner? Do I make a ghusl when I see this color or do I wait a full ten days. I am unsure as there is never actually no color on my liner, and, all of the masalas that I have read say that you have to wait for your sanitary liner to be completely white,but, I never experience that my sanitary liner is completely white.