Having an irregular menstruation

Q: I am a twenty-year-old married woman. My menstrual period used to be late for one to four months before I got married and one year after marriage. However, after the last sexual intercourse I had with my husband, I had bleeding mixed with white discharge. As this continued for one week, I thought it was menstruation and thus I started not to perform Salah (Prayer). Then I had bleeding of a brown color like that of dirt. It continued for ten days so I went to hospital and had a pregnancy test (Part No. 4; Page No. 231) but it was negative. Finally, I had for the first time in my life a dark red bleeding. It continued for twenty days. This started thirty-one days ago until now; a period during which I did not perform Salah. I now have a very slight bleeding. My question is whether such blood that I have is menstruation or Istihadah (abnormal vaginal bleeding outside the menstrual or post-partum period)? Do I have to perform Salah? What is the ruling on the number of Salahs that I missed? What is Istihadah? May Allah reward you with the best for helping Muslims.

A: If the reality is as you have mentioned, you will have to stop performing Salah only for the number of days of menstruation that you usually have every month. When that number of days expires, you have to take Ghusl (full ritual bath), perform Salah, and use a piece of cotton or the like to prevent leakage during Salah until the time of the next menstruation period. This was what the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded women to do during Istihadah. Moreover, if you have continuous bleeding, you have to make Wudu' (ablution) for every Salah after the start of its prescribed time. In addition, you have to make up for the number of Salahs that you did not perform during the bleeding you had outside the menstrual period. May Allah help and guide you. May He cure you from all illnesses.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.