Explanation of the author's statement: "And al-muwala'ah, which is not delaying the washing of a limb until the one before it dries."

The Shaykh : Now, "al-muwala'ah" is also an obligatory condition, and it is the sixth obligatory condition. Al-muwala'ah means that one thing follows another without delay. This al-muwala'ah means that one thing is connected to the other, following it without delay. This is al-muwala'ah. The reason al-muwala'ah is required can be taken from the noble verse, because the answer to the condition must be continuous and not delayed. "If you rise [to pray], then wash your faces. If you rise, then wash your hands. If you rise, then wipe your heads. If you rise, then wash your feet." Thus, they are sequential, necessitated by the fact that the conditioned follows the condition. This is one piece of evidence. Another piece of evidence is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed wudu' sequentially; he did not separate the limbs of his wudu'. Thirdly, this is the narration of Ahmad, but the narration of Muslim says to him: The difference between the two wordings, if we do not reconcile one with the other, is that the command to perfect the wudu' means the command to complete what was lacking from it. This implies that he should wash only what he left out, not what preceded it. And the narration of can be understood as "bring it in a good state," and that is by repeating it. Thus, the narration of Muslim is reconciled with the narration of Imam Ahmad, because the chain of Imam Ahmad is good; Imam Ahmad himself graded it as good, and likewise Ibn Kathir said that it is a good, authentic hadith, so he authenticated it. The result is that this is evidence from the Book and the Sunnah. Evidence from reasoning is that wudu' is a single act of worship. If the parts of this act of worship are separated, it becomes fragmented and is no longer a single act of worship. A single act of worship must be a single unit whose parts do not separate. So these are three pieces of evidence from the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and reasoning that indicate the obligation of al-muwala'ah and that al-muwala'ah is necessary. There is a second opinion in this issue among the scholars that al-muwala'ah is not a condition but a recommended practice (sunnah), because Allah commanded the washing of these limbs, and this is achieved whether done sequentially or with separation. If it is achieved by both sequential and separated performance, then sequential performance is a recommended practice and not obligatory. However, the better opinion is that al-muwala'ah is a condition, because, as we said, it is a single act of worship that cannot be fragmented. But what is the meaning of al-muwala'ah? The author explained it, saying: "It is not delaying the washing of a limb until the one before it dries", on the condition that this is in a moderate time free from wind and air. So al-muwala'ah is not delaying the washing of a limb until the one before it dries. The "one before it" follows it. What is the "one before it"? All of it. Suppose he delayed in washing the hands, so he washed the hands before the face dried, then delayed in wiping the head, so he wiped it before the hands dried but after the face had dried. Is this permissible or not permissible? It is not permissible, because his intention by "the one before it" means in terms of sequence, i.e., all the previous limbs. And we said "in a moderate time" to avoid non-moderate times. In winter and humidity, drying is delayed or does not occur. What if there is fog? Then drying is delayed significantly. And if it is in a hot time, then drying is fast. Likewise, if there is strong wind, then drying is faster. Accordingly, the criterion is the moderate time free from wind. Some scholars said, and this is a narration from Imam Ahmad, that the criterion is not the drying of the limbs but the length of the interval according to custom. If the interval is long according to custom, then al-muwala'ah is lost, so the wudu' must be close together according to custom. The scholars considered custom in many issues. If people say that this man did not separate his wudu' but his wudu' was continuous, then he is considered to have performed al-muwala'ah. But as I said, as we have mentioned to us many times, custom may not be precise, so linking the ruling to the drying of the limbs is closer to precision. Yes. And his statement: "al-muwala'ah", an exception is made for this if al-muwala'ah is lost due to a matter related to purity. For example, if there is an obstacle in one of the limbs that prevents water from reaching it, and he is occupied with removing that obstacle. For example, like paint. When he came to wash his hands, he found paint on them that requires time. He brings, for example, gasoline or not gasoline, it requires time. So he is occupied with removing this obstacle. Then that does not harm, because this is a matter related to his purity. Likewise, if the water runs out and he is extracting it from the well, and the limbs dry in the meantime, then that does not harm. Or if he moves, for example, from one faucet to another to obtain water, then that does not harm, because it is for a matter related to his purity. But if al-muwala'ah is lost due to a matter not related to purity, for example, during his wudu' he finds blood on his garment and he is occupied with removing that blood until al-muwala'ah is lost, then he must repeat the wudu', because this is not related to his purity. Yes.

The questioner : I say, if there is an obstacle in one of the limbs that prevents the water from penetrating, is it not something that surprises him?

The Shaykh : How?

The questioner : I mean, it is not a surprise to him that he removes the obstacle before the wudu' dries?

The Shaykh : Because he might forget, or he might be lazy or negligent. And the best, without a doubt, if he finds this obstacle, is to hasten to remove it. But some people, the owner of paint, he does not go whenever a drop falls on his body to remove it immediately. He says, "When the time for prayer comes, I will remove it."

The questioner : Or it might be that when he reached wiping his feet over the leather socks, he remembered that the time for wiping them had ended. May Allah...?

The Shaykh : If what?

The questioner : If the time interval means a very long time, and he went from one restroom to a far restroom?

The Shaykh : It does not harm, as long as this is for completing his purity, it does not harm. But note that he must be occupied with it. He might, for example, when he went to the second restroom or the second faucet, meet someone and stand chatting with him. This breaks the al-muwala'ah.

The questioner : I say, regarding the order, if he started with his left hand before the right?

The Shaykh : No, that is a recommended practice (sunnah). The order is only between the four limbs: the face, the hands, the head, and the feet. He said: "It is not delaying the washing of a limb until the one before it dries". We added to it two conditions: in a moderate time free from wind, and we excluded from it the case where the loss of al-muwala'ah is due to a matter related to purity.