Is Quick Succession Required for Washing Limbs in Ablution?

Question

I was performing ablution (wudu) in the bathroom when the water ran out. So, I went to the kitchen, approximately 20 meters away in a straight line, to fill a jug with water and resume my ablution. After returning to the bathroom, I continued with the ablution but realized that the water was insufficient. Therefore, I returned to the kitchen again to refill the jug and returned to complete my ablution. Finally, I performed my prayer. Is my ablution considered valid?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to what pleases Him. Amin.

The ablution was valid, and Allah knows best.

Quick Succession in Ablution

Quick succession is not a strict requirement for washing the limbs in ablution. [Nawawi, al-Majmu‘]

Sunna of Quick Succession

The generally recommended practice is to wash the different parts of the body successively and without significant pauses, ensuring that the last washed part does not dry before moving on to the next. [Misri, ‘Umdat al-Salik]

Pausing Between Limbs

However, if there is a pause between washing the limbs, even for an extended period, the ablution remains valid without the need to renew the intention. [Ibid.]

I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan.

Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.

He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.

Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.