Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

the main aim of ablution is to apply the water. Ablution must be done by serially (Tarteeb) tarteeb also include in the fard of ablution. Now my question is before starting wadu I applied the soap on my face & full hands and wash the above from water then I started wadu, when I reach to do the wadu of my face and full hands I imagine that there is already water on my face and hands, just I make `niyya` in my heart that It is already done and I don`t make wadu of face and full hands and I go for next step. Please confirm in the light of Quran and Hadith whether it is acceptable or not. 

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Answer:

Wudu and intention

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 6 (part):

6 O ye who believe! When ye prepare for prayer wash your faces and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles.

The main aim of ‘wudu’ or ablution is not merely to apply water on one’s specified body parts; but just as one who has believed professes cleanliness from spiritual filth like polytheism and disbelief, a believer who intends to offer his prayers must physically cleanse himself by washing the specified parts before he makes himself/herself available for the prayer.

If one washes all of the body parts required by Shariah for one to perform the ‘wudu’, but one did not have the intention to purify oneself before they washed themselves, they will not be considered to be in the state of ‘wudu’ in the Sight of Allah Subhanah. It is an absolutely obligatory condition for a ‘wudu’ to be valid in Shariah that one make the intention to purify oneself before one starts one ‘wudu’.

Thus if one perchance happens to wash one’s face and hands before they make intention for ‘wudu’; and only after the washing they intend to perform the ‘wudu’ in preparation for prayer, it is absolutely obligatory in Shariah that the face and hands are washed again along with the other required body parts in their proper succession for their ‘wudu’ to be valid in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan