Making up for fasting and intentionally missed Prayer

Q: We know that menstruation invalidates fasting; and when it ends (Part No. 9; Page No. 50) and a woman has performed Ghusl (ritual bath), then she can resume fasting. She also has to make up for the missed days of fasting. However, there is a woman who performed Ghusl upon noticing that her menstruation blood ceased. But after performing Ghusl, her menstruation restarted again and remained for one more day and stopped. This time she did not perform Ghusl, and yet she fasted for six days after that. Is her fasting for these six days valid or invalid? If it is not valid, is her fasting without performing Ghusl judged as one who does not fast intentionally, bearing in mind that her intention was not to violate the rulings of Islamic law? If her fasting of those six days is judged like one who intentionally does not fast, and she is poor, then she is obligated to fast for sixty consecutive days. This ruling applies when one does not fast for one day intentionally, then how about missing six days of fasting?

A: The menstruating woman is not to perform Ghusl until the bleeding completely ceases and she notices that she is clear from any blood. But, if she performs Ghusl before becoming pure and the complete cessation of blood, and then the bleeding resumes, this blood is considered part of her monthly period, as long as the period of menstruation does not exceed fifteen days. Based on this, the first Ghusl which she performed is not valid, and the day in which the bleeding resumed was part of her monthly period. As such, she had to perform Ghusl after the blood has completely ceased.As for fasting after the complete cessation of bleeding, it is valid, even if she did not perform Ghusl. It must be noted that the Ghusl is not a condition for the validity of fasting, but it is a condition for the validity of Prayer. Therefore, she should only make up for the Prayers which she had missed during the above-mentioned days.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.