Shaykh al-Islām Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah—may Allah have mercy on him—also said:

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There are three views concerning continuity between the acts of ablution:

The first: It is obligatory without exception. The followers of Imam Ahmad describe this as the apparent position of his school. It is also al-Shāfiʿī’s earlier view and one view within the school of [Mālik] (1).

The second: It is not obligatory at all. This is the position of Abū Hanīfah, one opinion reported from Ahmad, and al-Shāfiʿī’s later view.

The third: It is obligatory unless interrupted for a valid excuse, such as insufficient water. This is the well-known position in Mālik’s school and one view within the school of [Ahmad] (2).

I say: This third view is the strongest and the most consistent with the underlying principles of Islamic law