Is washing the private parts during ritual ablution considered an innovation (bid‘ah) if there is no impurity on them, or is it among the recommended (mustahabb) practices?

Washing the private parts (farj) in ghusl (definition) al-janaba is obligatory because it is part of encompassing the entire body with water. It is preferable to wash it at the beginning of the ghusl to remove any impurities and to avoid touching it later, which might invalidate ablution (wudu'). This is what An-Nawawi emphasized, as the place of Istinja (definition)' (cleansing after relieving oneself) must be washed with the intention of ghusl al-janaba to ensure the validity of the ghusl and to avoid invalidating ablution.