My usual period is 7 days, I had a miscarriage and as a result my period (miscarriage) has lasted for 20 days now and still ongoing, I am unsure now when to do ghusl and such. Xould you please explain to me sSayed Fadhlallahs Ahkam regarding this situation (miscarriage period)?

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Rules of ISTIHADHA

Any thing beyond 10 days is no longer treated as period blood. In your case you need to follow a certain procedure that helps you work out what to do as what is happening to you now is called ISTIHADHA. There are three types of ISTIHADHA. Major, medium and minor. And the rules differ from each other. To identify which one you are currently experiencing please observe the following.

What is Istihadha:

Istihadha is usually yellowish and cold and is emitted without gush or irritation and is also not thick. It is, however, possible that at times the colour of the blood may be red or dark, and it may also be warm and thick and may be issued with gush and irritation. There are three kinds of Istihadha: Slight (Qalila), Medium (Mutawaassita) and Excessive (Kathira). Explanation is given below:

Little blood (Qalila): If the blood remains on the surface of the wool or pad etc., (placed by a woman on her private part) but does not penetrate into it, the Istihadha is called Qalila.
Medium blood (Mutawassita): If the blood penetrates into the cotton (or pad etc.), even partially, but does not soak the cloth tied on the outer side, the Istihadha is called Mutawassita.
Excessive blood (Kathira): If the blood penetrates through the cotton, soaking it and the cloth (etc.) around it, the Istihadha is called Kathira.

In the case of little istihadha the a woman should perform separate Wudhu for every prayer and should, as a recommended precaution, wash or change the pad. And if some blood is found on the outer part of her private parts she should make it pure with water.

In the case of Mutawassita, it is an obligatory precaution for a woman to make one Ghusl everyday for her daily prayers, and she should act accordingly to the rules of little Istihadha as explained in the foregoing rule.

If the state of Istihadha began before or just at the time of Fajr prayers, she should do Ghusl before offering Fajr prayers. If she does not do Ghusl intentionally or forgetfully, she should do Ghusl before Zuhr and Asr prayers. And if she misses even that, then she should do Ghusl before praying Maghrib and Isha. This she would do regardless of whether bleeding continues or stops.

In the case of excessive bleeding the woman should change, as an obligatory precaution, the cotton or pad tied to her private parts or make it pure with water. It is also necessary that she should do one Ghusl for Fajr prayers, one for Zuhr and Asr prayers and once again for Maghrib and Isha prayers.

She should offer Asr prayers immediately after Zuhr prayers and if she allowed any lapse of time between them, she should do Ghusl again for Asr prayers. Similarly if she keeps any time gap between Maghrib and Isha prayers, she should do Ghusl again for Isha prayers.

All these rules apply when bleeding is so excessive that it continues soiling the pad etc. But if it takes longer to soil the cotton or pad, and a woman has enough time to pray one or more Namaz in between, then, as per obligatory precaution, she would change the pad or wash it to make pure water and then do Ghusl only when the cloth covering the pad or cotton is fully soaked.

For example, if a woman praying salah of Zuhr finds out that the cloth is fully soaked again before the prayers of Asr, she would do Ghusl for Asr prayers.

And if she finds that the flow of blood is slow enough to allow two or more prayers to be offered before the cotton or cloth is totally soiled with blood, there will be no need for Ghusl before the ensuing prayer.

For example, if she finds that there is enough time to offer even Maghrib and Isha prayers, before the cloth is fully soaked, she would pray Maghrib and Isha without Ghusl. In every case, the Ghusl in excessive Istihaza does not require Wudhu after it.