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I am living in Oman, where women follow a practice of remaining in the house for 40 days following the birth of a child. I have asked several people about this. Most people do not seem to know if it is sunnah or not. If it is, I would like to try to follow the practice (I am in the 9th month of my 4th pregnancy). However, I have also been told it is a bid'ah practice and therefore I should avoid it. Please try to clear up this issue, which I have been researching for almost 6 years!
Praise be to Allah.
Forty days is the longest period that the woman in nifas can refrain from praying and fasting , so long as blood is still flowing. After that, she should do ghusl and pray, and consider herself to be in a state of istihadah (irregular vaginal bleeding which is neither menstruation nor nifas) if the bleeding does not stop.
Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “At the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the woman in nifas would sit (i.e., refrain from praying and fasting) for forty days…” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi).
With regard to the belief that a woman has to stay in her house for forty days after giving birth and not go out, this is a mistaken belief and women do not have to do this. It is permissible for them to go out during these forty days to any place she wants, so long as she fulfills the shar’i conditions (i.e., hijab etc.)
And Allah knows best.