What is the ruling on one who forgot to wash his face during wudu' until he had finished, then washed it three times and then prayed? What is the ruling on his prayer, and is sequence a condition in wudu'?

The questioner : His EminenceThe Shaykh : I performed wudu' and forgot a limb, which is washing the face. I did not remember until after the wudu', so I made an effort and washed my face three times, then I went and prayed. Is my wudu' valid? Is my prayer valid? Is sequence a condition in wudu'? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : Sequence in wudu' is obligatory and necessary, because Allah the Exalted said: Thus, Allah the Exalted placed the wiped parts between the washed parts, and eloquence requires the opposite; it requires that a thing be grouped with its like except for a reason. We do not know a reason for Allah placing the wiped parts between the washed parts except for observing what? Sequence. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would perform wudu' and arrange it in this sequence. In the hadith of Jabir, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) approached al-Safa after circumambulating and intending to perform sa'y, and he approached al-Safa, he recited: This is the narration of Muslim, and the narration of al-Nasa'i is with the command: However, some scholars hold that if the sequence is not followed due to forgetfulness, there is no harm, and that his prayer is valid. They said: Because the person performed the obligation, but he forgot the attribute, and the attribute is not like the loss of the essence. So when he performed the essence, which is washing all the limbs, and forgot the sequence, his wudu' is valid. In fact, some scholars said that if he remembers that he did not wash his face, he should wash it, and it is not obligatory for him to wash what comes after it. Based on this, I say to this man that if he repeats his prayer, that is better, and if he does not repeat it, I hope that there is no blame on him. Likewise, if he remembers in the future that he forgot his face or a limb from the limbs, let him purify it and what comes after it. Yes.