Assalaamu alaykum. My question is about menstruation. I have an extremely irregular cycle, and it has recently gotten worse, which has impacted my prayers. Usually, at the start of my period, I get spotting, and then the flow becomes gradually heavier; on average, the period lasts 6 days. Recently, I experienced spotting and naturally stopped praying, assuming that my period had begun, but this continued for a few days without the heavy flow, and so I started praying again (despite the spotting) and made up for all the prayers which I had missed as it was most likely Istihaadhah (non-menstrual vaginal bleeding). The spotting would come and go (lasting a week), and a few days after (where I had little to no spotting), my normal period came with the heavier flow, which lasted 12 days. My latest "period" is even more confusing, which is why I am asking for the Fiqhi ruling here. It started like the other one, but the spotting at the start was heavier, and so I stopped praying again, but the same thing happened where I was getting (sometimes heavy) spotting but no flow. After 8 days of this (during which I did not pray), I again classed this one as Istihaadhah and started praying but then got a heavy flow a day later and so I stopped praying again (thinking my actual period began). But this only lasted for a day, after which I got little spotting, which then also stopped. Now, after a while of experiencing nothing, I intend to perform Ghusl (ritual bath) and pray, but I do not even know if my actual period (i.e. continuous heavy flow) is coming soon or not, and I need to make up for the prayers, unless this was my actual period (this all lasted 11 days, including the day I prayed). I am very confused and stressed about this and feel like I have missed prayers that I was supposed to pray. How do I deal with a situation like this? May Allah reward you.

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The matter is easy, Allah willing; any bleeding that a woman sees at a time when it is possible that it could be her period is menstruation.

The maximum duration of the menstrual period is fifteen days. So the spots that you mentioned and the subsequent heavy flow of blood, if its total duration does not exceed fifteen days, as it is the case, then all this is part of your menses. In case its total duration exceeds fifteen days, then, in that case, it becomes clear that it is Istihaadhah, in which case you should count according to your habit for menstruation (i.e. your last known valid menstruation), if you know it; otherwise, you should use proper distinction (i.e. to distinguish menstrual blood), as it is known to women who have Istihaadhah.   

Therefore, you should know that regarding your last menstruation, which you are asking about, all the bleeding that you saw during that period, whether it be the spots at the start or the heavy flow that followed, and the subsequent spots as well, then all of this is menstruation, because its total duration, as you mentioned, was eleven days only, which is a duration whose totality is suitable for it to be menses.

You have to perform Ghusl immediately when the bleeding and the yellowness or brownness connected to it (without interruption) stops, and then you pray.

If you had delayed Ghusl after you saw purity, then you have to make up for those prayers which you were obliged to perform when you were ruled to be pure from menses.

Allah knows best.