The 28th was the day of my period; I took a tablet to stop the period out of fear of missing the fast of the Day of Arafah. I stopped the tablet for the 4 days of Eid. Yesterday after the morning prayer there was spotting; I did not pray, and after that I am completely clean. Should I perform ghusl and start the prayers? And will I have to make up the prayers I have not prayed since yesterday at Zuhr?

On the morning of the 19th, after the morning prayer, a little blood came, then nothing — I prayed Zuhr. At Asr I again saw a little blood; taking it as menstruation I left Asr, Maghrib and Isha; during that time there was only brown discharge. At Fajr there was nothing, and I prayed. At Zuhr I again saw blood; taking it as menstruation I did not pray. Now since yesterday at Asr there has been no discharge at all — should the 8 days be completed, counting it as menstruation?

1. This spotting is not menstruation: menstrual blood flows in a stream with its natural signs (its specific colour and smell) (the criterion of Ibn 'Uthaymin and others). If, on stopping the medicine, because of the change in hormones, a drop or two comes and stops, and the woman becomes completely clean, this is a temporary disturbance, not menstruation.

2. Ghusl and prayer: The ghusl of menstruation is not obligatory — wash the affected place, perform wudu and start the prayers immediately (if you wish to perform ghusl out of caution you may, but wudu is sufficient for the validity of the prayer).

3. Making up: Yes — making up all the prayers missed from yesterday at Zuhr until now is obligatory, because you were in reality pure, and the prayers were missed under the mistaken impression of menstruation; these prayers are a debt upon you, so pray them in order.

Summary: Perform wudu at once, start the prayers, and make up the missed prayers; in future, consider yourself pure until the blood begins to flow in a stream.

No — when since yesterday at Asr every kind of discharge and blood has stopped completely and she is entirely clean, it is not permissible to sit waiting to complete eight days counting it as menstruation; perform ghusl at once and start the prayers.

The rule: Whenever blood or coloured discharge stops and dryness/whiteness appears, the woman is pure; leaving prayers in the period of purity in order to complete the days of one's habit is a sin. If blood comes again, leave the prayer at that time; as long as there is cleanness, prayer is obligatory.

The ruling on making up: If this sequence (from the morning of the 19th until yesterday at Asr) occurred within her usual days of menstruation and the whole duration amounts to at least three days and three nights (72 hours), then it was menstruation — there is no making up of the prayers left. If the whole time was less than three days and there were only light drops/brown discharge, then it is istihadah (blood of illness) — making up all the prayers left in the belief that it was menstruation is obligatory.

Therefore, perform ghusl at once and start the prayers; if the duration was less than three days, also pray the qada of the earlier prayers.

Translated from the original Urdu fatwa.