The apparent meaning of the author’s words, may Allah have mercy on him, is that continuity is not a condition for ghusl. Thus, if someone washes part of his body and then completes it after what is customarily considered a long interval, his ghusl is valid. This is the position of the madhhab.

It was also said that continuity is a condition; this is one narration from Imam Ahmad. It was also said to be one view held by the Companions [of the madhhab] (1) …

This—meaning that continuity is a condition—is more correct, because ghusl is a single act of worship, and therefore its parts must follow one another without interruption. However, if he separates its parts due to an excuse—for example, if the water runs out during the ghusl and he later obtains more—he does not have to repeat what he washed first; rather, he completes the remainder.

“And he performs wudu with one mudd and ghusl with one sa‘ …”

His statement, “and he performs wudu with one mudd and ghusl with one sa‘”: yatawaḍḍa’u (“he performs wudu”) is in the nominative, because it begins a new sentence and is not coordinated with his statement, “that he form the intention.” For if it were coordinated with “that he form the intention,” the meaning would become: “What suffices is that he form the intention and perform wudu with one mudd.” But this is not the intended meaning. Rather, the meaning is that it is sunnah for wudu to be performed with one mudd and ghusl with one sa‘.

A mudd is one quarter of a sa‘ (2).

The Prophetic sa‘ is smaller than the customary sa‘ used among us by one fifth and one fifth of one fifth. Thus, for example, the Prophetic sa‘ weighs eighty French riyals, whereas our customary sa‘ weighs one hundred and four riyals.

So he takes a vessel that holds four fifths of the customary sa‘ and performs ghusl with it,