Q: I had my monthly periods before Ramadaan started. Now I spot every other day and it is not the whole day. Should I pay these days back?
A: There is some explanation that needs to be given with regard to your situation. Please read the following carefully and feel free to write back if there is any further query.
1. If you have a fixed cycle for your monthly flow, such as 7 days, or 8 days, and now you have passed that number of days and the spotting continues, then you must regard the previous fixed cycle as your menses. The rest of the days are istihaadah, meaning that you must still fast and make salaah but for salaah you need to make wudhu for every new salaah time.
2. If there is no fixed cycle then consider your haidh as 10 full days (if the spotting continued as you say) The rest of the days of spotting are istihaada which have the same rule as above, i.e you must fast and offer salaah.
3. If you had not fasted during the days of istihaadah then remember that you have to pay back these fasts after Ramadaan.
4. Also remember that if you have a 15-day clean, dry period wherein there is no flow or spotting, then the next time after that any blood flow or spotting that occurs will be a new haidh or menstruation.
Mufti Siraj Desai