What are the rulings regarding the blood a wife sees due to birth control pills, given that it comes every 7 or 8 days, and is it considered menstruation or istihadah (non-menstrual vaginal bleeding)? How should she purify herself, perform ablution, and pray, and is she required to make up missed prayers?

The blood that returns to your wife after the initial bleeding stops is to be considered as follows:

- If the total days of the initial bleeding and the stoppage period are fifteen days, then the first is menses (hayd) and the returning blood is irregular bleeding (istihada). Your wife must pray, fast, and make up the prayers and fasts she missed during the days of istihada. - If the blood returns before fifteen days have passed from the beginning of the initial bleeding, and it stops before exceeding fifteen days, then all of it is menstrual blood. - If the bleeding continues and exceeds fifteen days, and she can distinguish menstrual blood from other blood, then what is distinguished as menstrual is hayd, and the rest is istihada. If she cannot distinguish, then she should act according to her previous usual days, perform ghusl after they end, and make up the additional prayers, as was narrated from Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) concerning the woman with istihada. - How a woman with istihada purifies herself: She washes the areas of blood, protects herself (e.g., with a pad), performs ablution for each prayer, and prays immediately after ablution unless it is for the benefit of the prayer.