Must I make up the Dhuhr and Asr prayers if a brownish discharge occurred at the time of my menstrual period, then stopped for an hour, and then returned, knowing that this brownish discharge is typically part of my menstruation?

The relied-upon opinion for us—which is the madhhab (definition) of the Hanbalis—is that if the yellowish or brownish discharge (kudra) appears during the accustomed period and is accompanied by menstrual pain and cramps, it is considered menstruation. According to this madhhab, if the bleeding stops, such that if a piece of cotton were inserted it would come out clean, then it is safer to make up the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, because the intervening period of purity is considered a valid state of purity. Thus, if a woman's bleeding stops during her accustomed period, even for the shortest duration, she is pure and should perform ghusl (definition), pray, and do whatever pure women do. If a menstruating woman achieves purity before the prayer time expires—even if only for the duration of a single takbir—then that prayer and any prayer that is collected with it prior to it become obligatory upon her.