629 - Muhammad ibn Abi Hazm narrated to us, saying: Bishr ibn Umar narrated to us, saying: Ibn Lahi'ah narrated to us, from Bukayr—regarding a woman who became pure and then saw a drop of blood—he said: "That she prays while she is in doubt is more beloved to me than that she leaves the prayer." He said: "If her blood is prolonged for her, she should look to the duration of her menstruation, leave the prayer, then look to her period of purity, perform purification, and perform the prayer (1)."

Chapter: A woman who menstruates for seven or eight days, then experiences istihaadah (irregular vaginal bleeding)

• I asked Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Hanbal, I said: A woman used to menstruate for seven days, and perhaps she menstruated for eight days, then she experienced istihaadah. How long should she sit [refrain from prayer]? He said: "This is her regular time, but she should sit for eight days."

o Abu Muhammad said: "This is how I found it in my book."

• And I asked Ahmad—another time—I said: O Abu Abdullah, a woman who had a set time in which she menstruated; seven days or eight days, then her time changed upon her, and she menstruated for two or three months for ten days? He said: "If it continued for three months, it is a regular time; if it was less than that, then no."

630 - Muhammad ibn Nasr ibn Sa'id narrated to us, saying: Hassan ibn Ibrahim narrated to us—regarding a woman whose periods when she first menstruated were seven days, then eight days, then five days—he said: Sufyan said: "If it is like that, then the maximum she should sit is seven days."

631 - Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Naysaburi narrated to us, saying: Yusuf ibn Yahya narrated to us, saying: Al-Shafi'i said: "If her menstruation varies, such that it is sometimes three [days], sometimes five, and sometimes seven, then she experiences istihaadah; I would command her to leave the prayer for the minimum of her days of menstruation, which is three, then she performs ghusl, prays, and fasts."