is now only by way of precaution. Therefore, she must limit herself to the obligatory prayers, since the basic presumption is that this blood is menstrual blood. As for voluntary prayers, there is no need for precaution regarding them, because a person does not incur sin by leaving them; thus, there is no need to take precautions concerning them.

Accordingly, his statement, “and she prays,” should be understood as referring to the obligatory prayers, because these are the prayers whose omission she may fear being sinful for, unlike voluntary prayers.

She also fasts the obligatory fast, such as if this began with her during Ramadan: she refrains for one day and one night, then fasts by way of precaution.

His statement, “If it stops at its maximum duration or before, she performs ghusl when it stops,” means that the blood stops at the maximum duration of menstruation, such as fifteen days, or at a lesser duration, such as ten days, provided that it is not less than one day and one night.

We shall first set out the school’s position so that we understand it, and then return to the strongest view.

An example of this is a woman who refrains for one day and one night, then performs ghusl and begins praying and observing the obligatory fast. If the bleeding stops at its maximum duration or at a lesser duration—for example, if it stops after ten days—then she performs ghusl a second time. This is why he said, “she performs ghusl when it stops.” This is obligatory, because it is possible that the bleeding beyond the day and night was menstruation; thus, she performs ghusl as a precaution. In this case, she has performed ghusl twice: the first time upon completion of the day and night, and the second when the bleeding stops.

Let us suppose that she did this in the month of Muharram. When Safar arrives, she does as she did in Muharram. Then, when the third month arrives, namely Rabi al-Awwal, she does as she did in Muharram: she refrains for one day and one night, then performs ghusl, prays, and fasts. If the bleeding stops after ten days, as mentioned in the example, she again performs ghusl a second time and prays. Thus, this has occurred to her three times.