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Is ghusl and wudu' valid if water did not reach some body parts during ghusl, but then reached them in the subsequent wudu', making the prayer valid?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The limbs that were not reached by water during ghusl (ritual bath) must be washed with the intention of removing major ritual impurity (al-hadath al-akbar). If one performs wudu' (ablution) with the intention of removing major ritual impurity, the impurity is lifted even if there is a break between the ghusl and the wudu', because continuity (muwalat) is not a condition for the ghusl of janabah (state of ritual impurity requiring ghusl). However, if one washes them with the deliberate intention of removing minor ritual impurity (al-hadath al-asghar) while knowing that they have not completed the ghusl of janabah, then according to the jurists, the janabah is not lifted, though some say it is lifted. If one mistakenly washes them with the intention of wudu', forgetting that they have not completed the ghusl of janabah, that is sufficient. Some Maliki jurists have explicitly stated that if one performs wudu' during ghusl of janabah, intentionally intending to remove minor ritual impurity, it is not sufficient according to their well-known view, though one opinion holds that it is sufficient.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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