❖ 7 Shar‘i Rulings on a Dry Spot Remaining After Wudu
Taken from: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, Page 380
If a person notices a dry spot on their body after performing wudu or ghusl, is it necessary to repeat the entire ablution or bath, or is it sufficient to simply wet that dry area?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. ʾAmma baʿd:
This matter is based on the principle:
Is continuity (muwālāh) in washing the limbs during wudu obligatory or not?
The correct and stronger opinion is that muwālāh is obligatory in wudu, as supported by the following evidences:
“A man came to the Prophet ﷺ after performing wudu, and there was a spot on his foot the size of a fingernail that remained dry. The Prophet ﷺ said:
‘Go back and perform your wudu properly.’”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 125; Abū Dāwūd 1/35 – Chapter: Separation in Wudu)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Go back and perform your wudu properly.”
In the narration of Imām Aḥmad:
“The man went back, performed wudu again, and offered the prayer.”
(Aḥmad: 1/21, 23; 3/146)
In Sharḥ Muslim, Imām Nawawī states that Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ and others used these ḥadīths as evidence for the obligation of muwālāh.
Although the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Perform your wudu properly”
—and did not specifically instruct to only wash the dry spot,
Imām Nawawī opined that the wording could imply either entire wudu or just washing that spot, and therefore, it is not conclusive.
The stronger view is that Imām Nawawī’s interpretation is incorrect.
The context clearly implies that the entire wudu must be repeated, because:
The Prophet ﷺ saw a man praying with a dry patch on his foot the size of a dirham.
He instructed him to repeat both the prayer and wudu.
In ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd (1/68), ʿAẓīm Ābādī رحمه الله writes:
“This ḥadīth is a clear proof for the obligation of muwālāh, because commanding the repetition of wudu due to a small dry area is only justifiable if muwālāh is obligatory.”
This is the view of:
✔ Imām Mālik
✔ Al-Awzāʿī
✔ Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal
✔ One narration from Imām al-Shāfiʿī
In Ibn Abī Shaybah (1/41), Qalābah reports:
“ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) saw a man praying with a dry patch the size of a fingernail on the back of his foot. He ordered him to repeat both wudu and the prayer.”
✔ al-Irwāʾ (1/126, Ḥadīth no. 86)
✔ Nayl al-Awṭār by Imām al-Shawkānī (1/217–218)
If muwālāh were not obligatory, then washing the missed area alone would have sufficed. But because wudu is an act of worship, a break in sequence nullifies it—just like prayer, which also requires continuity.
In contrast to wudu, ghusl is regarded as a single act, and muwālāh is not obligatory in it.
This is based on a narration in Ibn Abī Shaybah (1/41) from ʿAlāʾ:
The Prophet ﷺ came out after ghusl and noticed a dry spot on his shoulder, so he wet his hand with his hair and moistened that area.
However, this narration has a weak chain due to the presence of Abū ʿAlī al-Rajjī, a majhūl (unknown) narrator.
If during wudu or ghusl, any area remains dry and is only washed after other parts have dried, then:
These rulings apply only if muwālāh is considered obligatory, and according to evidence, this is the stronger and correct opinion.
ھٰذَا مَا عِنْدِی وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
Taken from: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, Page 380
❖ Question:
If a person notices a dry spot on their body after performing wudu or ghusl, is it necessary to repeat the entire ablution or bath, or is it sufficient to simply wet that dry area?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. ʾAmma baʿd:
✦ The Foundational Issue:
This matter is based on the principle:
Is continuity (muwālāh) in washing the limbs during wudu obligatory or not?
The correct and stronger opinion is that muwālāh is obligatory in wudu, as supported by the following evidences:
✿ Evidences:
➊ Ḥadīth of Anas bin Mālik (رضي الله عنه):
“A man came to the Prophet ﷺ after performing wudu, and there was a spot on his foot the size of a fingernail that remained dry. The Prophet ﷺ said:
‘Go back and perform your wudu properly.’”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 125; Abū Dāwūd 1/35 – Chapter: Separation in Wudu)
➋ Ḥadīth of ʿUmar al-Fārūq (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Go back and perform your wudu properly.”
In the narration of Imām Aḥmad:
“The man went back, performed wudu again, and offered the prayer.”
(Aḥmad: 1/21, 23; 3/146)
✦ Commentary of Imām Nawawī رحمه الله:
In Sharḥ Muslim, Imām Nawawī states that Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ and others used these ḥadīths as evidence for the obligation of muwālāh.
Although the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Perform your wudu properly”
—and did not specifically instruct to only wash the dry spot,
Imām Nawawī opined that the wording could imply either entire wudu or just washing that spot, and therefore, it is not conclusive.
✦ Refutation of Imām Nawawī’s View:
The stronger view is that Imām Nawawī’s interpretation is incorrect.
The context clearly implies that the entire wudu must be repeated, because:
✔ Ṣaḥīḥ Ḥadīth in Abū Dāwūd (1/36, Ḥadīth: 175):
The Prophet ﷺ saw a man praying with a dry patch on his foot the size of a dirham.
He instructed him to repeat both the prayer and wudu.
✦ Explanation from ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd:
In ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd (1/68), ʿAẓīm Ābādī رحمه الله writes:
“This ḥadīth is a clear proof for the obligation of muwālāh, because commanding the repetition of wudu due to a small dry area is only justifiable if muwālāh is obligatory.”
This is the view of:
✔ Imām Mālik
✔ Al-Awzāʿī
✔ Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal
✔ One narration from Imām al-Shāfiʿī
✦ Supporting Report of ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه):
In Ibn Abī Shaybah (1/41), Qalābah reports:
“ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) saw a man praying with a dry patch the size of a fingernail on the back of his foot. He ordered him to repeat both wudu and the prayer.”
❖ Additional References for In-depth Research:
✔ al-Irwāʾ (1/126, Ḥadīth no. 86)
✔ Nayl al-Awṭār by Imām al-Shawkānī (1/217–218)
✦ Explanation from al-Mughnī (1/158):
- Imām Aḥmad clearly declared muwālāh as obligatory.
- One view from Imām al-Shāfiʿī supports the same.
- Imām Mālik states:
- If the delay between washing is intentional, wudu is invalid.
- If unintentional, it is still valid, but the Prophet’s command shows the need for repetition.
If muwālāh were not obligatory, then washing the missed area alone would have sufficed. But because wudu is an act of worship, a break in sequence nullifies it—just like prayer, which also requires continuity.
❖ Ruling in Ghusl:
In contrast to wudu, ghusl is regarded as a single act, and muwālāh is not obligatory in it.
This is based on a narration in Ibn Abī Shaybah (1/41) from ʿAlāʾ:
The Prophet ﷺ came out after ghusl and noticed a dry spot on his shoulder, so he wet his hand with his hair and moistened that area.
However, this narration has a weak chain due to the presence of Abū ʿAlī al-Rajjī, a majhūl (unknown) narrator.
❖ Conclusion:
If during wudu or ghusl, any area remains dry and is only washed after other parts have dried, then:
① Repeating the entire wudu or ghusl becomes obligatory.
② If prayer was performed with such a wudu, repeating the prayer is also necessary.
These rulings apply only if muwālāh is considered obligatory, and according to evidence, this is the stronger and correct opinion.
ھٰذَا مَا عِنْدِی وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
