What should we do if we accidently miss a step of wudhu?
Prayer
Asked on 20th December 2021
Question
sheikh, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah
what should we do if we miss one of the steps of wudu and then we prayed, and we realized that we missed a part of wudu after praying, should we renew that wudu and and pray again?
jazak allahu khair
Answer
Wa'alaykumsalaam Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatouh
If you have missed a part of wudhu and later realized, the scholars answered below.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said:
If a person forgets to wash any of the parts of the body that should be washed when doing wudoo’, or he omits any portion of that, even if it is small, if it was during wudoo’ or immediately afterwards and the traces of water are still on his limbs and have not dried yet, then he should wash the part that he forgot and those that come after it only. But if he remembers that he forgot to wash one of the parts of the body that are to be washed in wudoo’, or a portion of it, after his limbs have dried or during the prayer or after finishing the prayer, then he has to do wudoo’ all over again, just as Allah has prescribed repeating the prayer in full. Allah has enjoined washing all the parts of the body that are to be washed in wudoo’, so if a person omits part of that, even if it is a small area on one of the parts that are to be washed in wudoo’, it is as if he forgot to wash all of it. This is what is indicated in the report narrated by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw a man doing wudoo’, and he omitted a spot the size of a fingernail on his foot. He told him to repeat his wudoo’ and his prayer, and he went back and prayed again.
Narrated by Muslim, 243; Ibn Maajah, 666. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 4/92
If you have missed a part of wudhu and later realized, the scholars answered below.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said:
If a person forgets to wash any of the parts of the body that should be washed when doing wudoo’, or he omits any portion of that, even if it is small, if it was during wudoo’ or immediately afterwards and the traces of water are still on his limbs and have not dried yet, then he should wash the part that he forgot and those that come after it only. But if he remembers that he forgot to wash one of the parts of the body that are to be washed in wudoo’, or a portion of it, after his limbs have dried or during the prayer or after finishing the prayer, then he has to do wudoo’ all over again, just as Allah has prescribed repeating the prayer in full. Allah has enjoined washing all the parts of the body that are to be washed in wudoo’, so if a person omits part of that, even if it is a small area on one of the parts that are to be washed in wudoo’, it is as if he forgot to wash all of it. This is what is indicated in the report narrated by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw a man doing wudoo’, and he omitted a spot the size of a fingernail on his foot. He told him to repeat his wudoo’ and his prayer, and he went back and prayed again.
Narrated by Muslim, 243; Ibn Maajah, 666. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 4/92