May a husband and wife have intercourse after menstruation ends but before the obligatory bath, and what should be done if she is unsure whether she has bathed?

Summary

The preferred opinion is that the couple should wait until the wife has taken the obligatory bath before being together, even if the bleeding has stopped. If she is unsure whether she has bathed, she should first check and recall; if she has not, she should bathe again because the obligatory bath requires intention. If intercourse took place during menstruation, scholars agree the couple must repent. Scholars differ on expiation, and this ruling leans towards no obligatory payment, though giving charity with the intention of expiation is better.

Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.