Short answer
Pregnancy is honoured in the Quran and its hardship is rewarded. A pregnant woman still prays, sitting if she must, and may skip Ramadan fasts if they could harm her or the baby, making them up later. In the Hanafi school bleeding during pregnancy is not a period, so she keeps praying.
Salah stays fard throughout pregnancy, standing or sitting as she is able. Fasting may be left if she fears harm for herself or the baby, with make-up only and no fidya. Any bleeding before the birth is istihadah (non-period bleeding). Intimacy is allowed. Her iddah ends when she gives birth.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Bleeding during pregnancy can count as a period if it meets the usual conditions. A woman who skips fasts only out of fear for the baby makes them up and also pays fidya.
- Maliki
- Bleeding during pregnancy can count as a period, with longer maximums later in the pregnancy.
- Hanbali
- Agrees that bleeding in pregnancy is not a period, but a woman who skips fasts only for the baby's sake makes them up and pays fidya.
Explanation
The Quran describes a mother carrying her child with hardship upon hardship and giving birth with hardship, and makes this the reason for the child's duty to her. The Prophet ﷺ counted a woman who dies in childbirth among the martyrs. So the tiredness, sickness and worry of pregnancy are not wasted.
The main rulings:
- Prayer: pray all five prayers. If standing is hard, sit; if sitting is hard, lie on your side. If you cannot bow or prostrate fully, use gestures.
- Fasting: you may leave a fast if you reasonably fear harm, and make it up later. See fasting while pregnant.
- Bleeding: not a period in the Hanafi school. See bleeding during pregnancy.
- Hajj and umrah: allowed if your doctor agrees and the airline accepts you. Plan for rest.
- Intimacy: allowed unless a doctor advises against it.
- Ending a pregnancy: see does Islam allow abortion.
There is no special surah that must be read in pregnancy, but reading Quran and making dua are always good. The Quran records the dua of parents who said, if You give us a good child, we will be among the grateful. See a surah for pregnancy.
For divorce, a pregnant woman's waiting period lasts until she gives birth. After the birth, the bleeding is nifas; see how long is nifas.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Ahqaf 46:15
وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ إِحْسَٰنًا ۖ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُۥ كُرْهًۭا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًۭا ۖ وَحَمْلُهُۥ وَفِصَٰلُهُۥ ثَلَٰثُونَ شَهْرًا ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةًۭ قَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِىٓ أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَٰلِحًۭا تَرْضَىٰهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِى فِى ذُرِّيَّتِىٓ ۖ إِنِّى تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّى مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿١٥﴾
And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning [period] is thirty months. [He grows] until, when he reaches maturity and reaches [the age of] forty years, he says, "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work righteousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am of the Muslims."
Honours the hardship of pregnancy and birth.
Quran, Surah At-Talaaq 65:4
وَٱلَّٰٓـِٔى يَئِسْنَ مِنَ ٱلْمَحِيضِ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ إِنِ ٱرْتَبْتُمْ فَعِدَّتُهُنَّ ثَلَٰثَةُ أَشْهُرٍۢ وَٱلَّٰٓـِٔى لَمْ يَحِضْنَ ۚ وَأُو۟لَٰتُ ٱلْأَحْمَالِ أَجَلُهُنَّ أَن يَضَعْنَ حَمْلَهُنَّ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مِنْ أَمْرِهِۦ يُسْرًۭا ﴿٤﴾
And those who no longer expect menstruation among your women - if you doubt, then their period is three months, and [also for] those who have not menstruated. And for those who are pregnant, their term is until they give birth. And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him of his matter ease.
A pregnant woman's iddah ends at delivery.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1117
Sahih... صل قائما فإن لم تستطع فقاعدا فإن لم تستطع فعلى جنب ...
"Pray standing; if you cannot, then sitting; if you cannot, then on your side."
Prayer continues in hardship, in whatever posture one can manage.
Sunan Abi Dawud 2408
Grading to be checked... إن الله وضع عن المسافر شطر الصلاة ...
"Allah has relieved the traveller of half the prayer, and the traveller, the pregnant woman and the nursing mother of fasting."
Pregnant women may leave the fast and make it up.
Sunan Abi Dawud 3111
Grading to be checked... والمرأة تموت بجمع شهيد ...
"And the woman who dies in childbirth is a martyr."
Shows the great reward attached to pregnancy and birth.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Sawm, chapter on what permits not fasting. Pregnant and nursing women who fear harm may break the fast and make it up, with no fidya.
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Taharah, chapter on menstruation (Bab al-Hayd). The blood a pregnant woman sees is istihadah.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.