precedes it, and at other times it is not; the decisive factor is the surrounding evidence. Here, the relevant texts show that what follows ilā is indeed part of what comes before it, so the elbows must be washed.

4. Ibn al-Qayyim said: The hadith of Abu Hurayrah in Sahih Muslim describing the Prophet’s ablution—“that he washed his hands until he began washing his upper arms”—indicates that the elbows are included in the obligatory washing.