To what extent is the widespread fatwa valid that the brown discharge preceding menstruation is not menses, and that menses begins with clear red blood, and what is the ruling on fasting and prayer during the period of this discharge?

The rulings concerning yellowish and brownish discharges are a matter of scholarly disagreement. The preponderant view is that they are considered menses if they occur during the regular period or if they are connected to blood. Otherwise, they are not considered menses. Normal vaginal discharges nullify ablution but are ritually pure. Brownish discharge is impure and differs from normal discharges in that it necessitates purifying the body and clothes. If the brownish discharge is not considered menses and its flow is continuous, the woman should perform ablution for each prayer after its time has begun, like one afflicted with urinary incontinence. Otherwise, she should wait for a time when ritual purity can be maintained long enough to perform the prayer. Whoever experiences brownish discharge when it is not considered menses is subject to the rulings of ritually pure women. She is not obligated to make up prayers if she had previously considered it menses, though making them up is better.