the response to a conditional statement is arranged according to the order in which the response occurs.

Moreover, Allah mentioned them in sequence, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “I begin with what Allah began with.” (1)

The evidence from the Sunnah is that all those who described his ablution mentioned only that he observed their order in accordance with how Allah mentioned them.

Question: If order is regarded as obligatory, is it waived because of ignorance or forgetfulness?

Some scholars said that it is waived by ignorance and forgetfulness, (2) because both are valid excuses. If the required order among missed prayers is waived due to forgetfulness, then this is similar.

Others said that it is not waived by forgetfulness (351), because it is an obligation, and an obligation is not waived by forgetfulness.

The analogy with making up missed prayers is questionable, because each prayer is an independent act of worship, whereas ablution is a single act of worship.

A comparable issue is the difference of opinion concerning the order of bowing and prostration in prayer. If someone prostrates before bowing due to forgetfulness, his prostration is not valid because it occurred before its proper place. Therefore, there is some reservation regarding the view that order is waived by forgetfulness. However, if it were supposed that an ignorant man living in the desert had, from the time of his upbringing, performed ablution by washing his face, hands, and feet, and then