Is a woman whose menstrual period has exceeded five days and reached seventeen days in the form of intermittent and clotted blood considered to be in a state of istihadah (post-menstrual bleeding) after the first five days, or is her waiting period (iddah) considered menstruation throughout the entire period of bleeding?

The blood a woman sees after the age of fifty is considered menstruation (hayd) if it occurs according to her usual cycle, or if experienced women determine it to be hayd. If it exceeds fifteen days, it is considered irregular bleeding (istihada). Some scholars are of the view that any bleeding beyond the usual cycle is not considered hayd unless it recurs three times. Others believe she should observe her usual cycle and add three nights as a precautionary measure. If the characteristics of hayd are not present, and experienced women do not definitively rule it as hayd, then it is considered dysfunctional bleeding (dam fasad) which does not prevent fasting or prayer.