Does Brown Discharge on the Last Days of a Period Count as Menstruation?

Walekumussalam,

If brown or brownish discharge appears on the seventh day, its ruling depends on whether it occurs within the days of menstruation or not.

The ruling is as follows: If this brown discharge appears within the days of menstruation (i.e., within 10 days) and menstrual blood had appeared before it, then according to Hanafi jurisprudence, it will also be considered part of menstruation.

In this case, the woman will not be considered pure yet, so she should not start praying or fasting, and she should not perform ghusl (ritual purification) until clear white discharge appears or complete dryness is seen.

However: If complete purity (white discharge or complete dryness) has already appeared and then brown discharge occurs afterward, it will not be considered menstruation, rather it will be istihādah (non-menstrual bleeding).