The meaning of 'A'ishah's statement: "Until you see the white discharge," is: when that is at the end of her menstrual days. She said: She should not perform ghusl as long as she sees yellow or brownish discharge, meaning: during the days of menstruation. Once her menstruation concludes, she performs ghusl and prays.

As for those who said: If the discharge follows her menstrual days along with her menstruation, and she does not see a period of purity between them, then that is menstruation until she completes the maximum days of her cycles, according to what al-Hakam and al-Harith al-'Ikli said: Menstrual blood is distinguished from istihadah (irregular vaginal bleeding) when one cycle reaches another cycle; at that point, she is a mustahadah (woman suffering from irregular bleeding) because the blood changes.

The first opinion is more similar to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him), as he commanded the mustahadah to refrain from prayer for the duration of her [customary] cycles, then to perform ghusl and pray. This is what we rely upon, and it is the view of most people of knowledge.

Ishaq said: "They have differed regarding brownish discharge during the days of menstruation. Some said: It is not menstruation, though most disagreed with them on that. As for yellow discharge and what resembles it, it is, according to all people of knowledge, considered menstruation if it occurs during the days of menstruation."

612 - Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Abi Hazm narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Bakr narrated to us, saying: Ibn Jurayj informed us, saying: I asked 'Ata': A menstruating woman sees the sign of purity and performs purification, then sees blood after it; is it a menstruation? He said: "No. If she sees the sign of purity, she should pray. If she sees blood after that, it is not menstruation; she is a mustahadah."