Sequence Of Ablution

Sequence of Ablution – الترتيب في الوضوء

Is the SEQUENCE/ORDER of washing each body part during the ablution A MUST?

According to the Hanafis and Malikis, it is Sunnah/Recommended, not Compulsory.

According to the Shafi’is and the Hanbalis, it is Compulsory.

Ibn Abdul-Barr al-Maliki responded to an evidence of the Shafi’is and Hanbalis – in ‘Al-Tamhid’, (2/80):

قول الله عز وجل : ( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاةِ فاغْسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُواْ بِرُؤُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَينِ )إنما يوجب ذلك الجمع بين الأعضاء المذكورة في الغسل ولا يوجب النسق ،

وقد قال الله عز وجل : ﴿وَأَتِمُّواْ الْحَجَّ وَالْعُمْرَةَ لِلهِ ﴾ سورة البقرة: ١٩٦. فبدأ بالحج قبل العمرة ، وجائز عند الجميع أن يعتمر الرجل قبل أن يحج ،

وكذلك قوله : ﴿وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَاةَ ﴾ سورة البقرة: ٤٣. جائز لمن وجب عليه إخراج زكاة ماله في حين وقت صلاة أن يبدأ بإخراج الزكاة ، ثم يصلي الصلاة في وقتها عند الجميع ،

وقد قال الله عز وجل : ﴿يَا مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ﴾ سورة آل عمران: ٤٣. ومعلوم أن السجود بعد الركوع وإنما أراد الجمع لا الرتبة

ومثله كثير في القرآن فدل على أن الواو لا توجب رتبة …

“[They used as evidence] Allah’s Statement:

“O believers! When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and [wash] your feet to the ankles.” [Qur’an 5:6].

[Ibn Abdul-Barr’s Response]:

This [verse] simply joins these mentioned body parts to be washed during the ablution, it does not make the order/sequence an obligation.

1- Allah has also said:

“And perform the Hajj and the Umrah.” [Qur’an 2:196].

So, Allah mentioned Hajj before Umrah, but is it permissible according to all scholars to do Umrah BEFORE Hajj.

2- Likewise, Allah has said:

“Perform prayer and give charity.” [Qur’an 2:43].

It is permissible for someone on whom charity is due, that he prays on time, BEFORE he gives his charity.

3- Similarly, Allah has has said:

“O Maryam! Be obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow down with those who bow down.” [Qur’an 3:43].

It is well known that prostration (Sujud) takes place AFTER bowing down (Ruku’), so this was only meant to jointly mention them and not to put them in a sequential order.

There are many examples like this in the Qur’an, which highlight that “AND” does not denote a sequence.”

End Quote.