What is the ruling regarding the fasting and prayers of a woman who reached puberty early and was unaware of the signs of purity, so she used to pray and fast after six days from her menstrual period, believing that the blood and brownish discharge after that was not menstruation? And must she make up those days or offer expiation?

Menstruation is an impediment to the validity of prayer and fasting. If a woman performs ghusl (ritual purification) and prays or fasts before seeing one of the two signs of purity (complete dryness or the white discharge), then her actions are not valid, because they occurred during a time when there was an impediment. Prayers performed after the end of menstruation with a valid ghusl do not need to be made up.

As for prayers performed without proper purification (whether after or before menstruation), she must make them up, because they are a debt upon her. The making up is done by praying each day as much as she can, in addition to the five current prayers, until she is reasonably sure that she has made up what she missed. This is the view of the majority of scholars. Some scholars do not consider it obligatory to make up prayers for someone who omitted a condition out of ignorance.

The prayers she performed during menstruation do not need to be made up, because a menstruating woman is prohibited from praying, unlike fasting which she must make up. There is no expiation (kaffarah) required for what was mentioned, nor is there sin if her ignorance was excusable. However, if she was negligent in seeking knowledge, then she must repent, because learning the conditions for the validity of worship is obligatory.