Spotting Before Full Bleeding
Assalamualaykum, my periods are every month and they last 7-9 days but since the last few years I start spotting 3-4 days before my exact date so the blood will be a little the first 2 days and maybe nothing the 3rd day and a little on the 4th day and the colour willl be red first then brown then red and then start my periods, but sometimes it’s a straight 7 days normal cycle (1 every 4 cycles)
Now just so you know I do have fibroids but it’s not the blood from there I think (based on no other symptoms).
My problem is 7-8 cycle plus the 4-5 days takes me up to 12-13 days which means I don’t pray for that long as iv been told your periods start from the first sign of blood
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Inspirer of truth
The minimum duration of menstruation (hayd) is 3 days and 3 nights (72 hours) and the maximum duration is 10 days and 10 nights (240 hours).
The minimum duration of purity is 15 days and 15 nights (360 hours). Any bleeding/spotting/coloured discharge that is not separated by 15 days of complete purity will be considered continuous blood, even if it is intermittent.
The general ruling is that any coloured discharge, other than clear or white, is blood and if seen in the days of one’s hayd habit it is considered hayd as long as the bleeding does not exceed 10 days and 10 nights (240 hours).
If it is experienced after 10 days and 10 nights OR there is an incomplete purity (less than 15 days and 15 nights) your habit will be used to distinguish between days of hayd and days of irregular bleeding (istihada).
A woman experiencing istihada must refer back to her last valid habit in hayd and purity to determine which days are hayd and istihada. Only the bleeding which is within the place of habit will be hayd and rest will be istihada.
You have stated that you experience spotting for three to four days, followed by seven to eight days of actual bleeding. As a result, the total duration of this is over the maximum limit of hayd. Therefore, please send the dates of the last four to five cycles (the beginning and ending dates/times). Please, also include dates where you have seen spotting any blood/spotting/coloured discharge during the days of purity.
And Allah knows best.
