What is the ruling on the gift of a pregnant woman?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Bequests
Primary text
The disposition of a pregnant woman is taken from one-third of her wealth if the labor pains (*Al-Makhad*) begin, which signifies the onset of a fear-inducing state analogous to a bedridden patient. This view is attributed to Sa'id ibn Al-Musayyib, 'Ata', Qatadah, Al-Nakh'i, Al-Thawri, and others, and it appears to be the position of Al-Shafi'i. Before the onset of labor pains, she is not considered to fear death, making her disposition valid from the entirety of her wealth, similar to a healthy person.
Supporting text
Abu Al-Khattab stated that her gift is from the principal wealth until labor pains begin, at which point it shifts to the one-third restriction. Al-Hasan and Al-Zuhri hold that her disposition is like that of a healthy person, as recovery is generally expected. After childbirth, if the afterbirth is retained or if the fetus dies, the illness is fear-inducing, restricting the gift to one-third if she continues to bleed, according to a narration from Ahmad concerning a woman in *Nifas* (postpartum bleeding).