Also, he says: If a person forgets during the ablution and does not recite the tashahhud, is his ablution invalid? And likewise, if he does not adhere to the complete order?
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The questioner : Also, he says: If a person forgets during the ablution and does not recite the tashahhud, is his ablution invalid? And likewise, if he does not adhere to the complete order?
The Shaykh : The tashahhud is not performed during the ablution, as is apparent from the brother's question; rather, the tashahhud is after completing the ablution. Even so, the tashahhud is a recommended practice (sunnah). If one performs the ablution and completes it properly, then says: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. O Allah, make me among those who repent, and make me among those who purify themselves," the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him, and he will enter from whichever he wishes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is a recommended practice (sunnah), not obligatory (wajib), to recite the tashahhud after completing the ablution. As for one who forgets the order and begins washing a limb before another, that invalidates his ablution if he did so intentionally. This is because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, when he turned toward al-Safa, he recited:[Al-Baqarah 2:158] then he said: Sahih Muslim 1218a.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And in a narration by al-Nasa'i:Sunan an-Nasa'i 2962Sahih (Darussalam) in the form of a command. And when we read the verse of ablution, we find that Allah the Exalted began with washing the face, then washing the hands, then wiping the head, then washing the feet. Accordingly, it is obligatory to maintain the order between these four limbs as Allah the Exalted commanded in His Book.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But if one forgets the order and does not arrange them, the scholars have differed on whether his ablution is valid in that case or not. The safest and best course is to repeat the ablution for the part where he deviated from the order. For example, if he washed his face, then wiped his head, then washed his hands, we tell him to repeat wiping the head, because it occurred out of its place, then wash the feet. There is no need to repeat the ablution from the beginning, because one only repeats what involved a deviation from the order: one repeats the limb where the deviation occurred and everything after it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : The tashahhud is not performed during the ablution, as is apparent from the brother's question; rather, the tashahhud is after completing the ablution. Even so, the tashahhud is a recommended practice (sunnah). If one performs the ablution and completes it properly, then says: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. O Allah, make me among those who repent, and make me among those who purify themselves," the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him, and he will enter from whichever he wishes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is a recommended practice (sunnah), not obligatory (wajib), to recite the tashahhud after completing the ablution. As for one who forgets the order and begins washing a limb before another, that invalidates his ablution if he did so intentionally. This is because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, when he turned toward al-Safa, he recited:
Indeed, as-Safa and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah
إن الصفا والمروة من شعائر اللهI begin with what Allah (has commanded me) to begin
أبدأ بما بدأ الله بهThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And in a narration by al-Nasa'i:
We will start with that with which Allah started.
ابدؤوا بما بدأ الله بهThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But if one forgets the order and does not arrange them, the scholars have differed on whether his ablution is valid in that case or not. The safest and best course is to repeat the ablution for the part where he deviated from the order. For example, if he washed his face, then wiped his head, then washed his hands, we tell him to repeat wiping the head, because it occurred out of its place, then wash the feet. There is no need to repeat the ablution from the beginning, because one only repeats what involved a deviation from the order: one repeats the limb where the deviation occurred and everything after it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.