at puberty. Their default state is freedom from major ritual impurity, just as their default state is the absence of minor ritual purification. For this reason, He said:

“When you rise for prayer, wash your faces.”

Then He said:

“And if you are in a state of major ritual impurity, purify yourselves.”

He commanded them to perform minor ritual purification without qualification, because the default is that they are all in a state of minor ritual impurity before performing ablution. Then He said:

“And if you are in a state of major ritual impurity, purify yourselves.”

None of them is in a state of major ritual impurity unless he has entered that state. For this reason, He, glorified be He, distinguished between the two.

Third: It may be said that the verse establishes the obligation of ablution when a believer rises for prayer. This indicates that rising for prayer is the cause that makes ablution obligatory, and that when he rises for prayer, it becomes an obligation admitting of no delay. If he has already performed ablution, he has fulfilled this obligation before further delay became impermissible. Likewise, He said:

“When the call to prayer is made on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah.”

This indicates that the call makes proceeding to Friday prayer obligatory. At that point, it must be done without delay, and one may not be distracted from it by trade or anything else. If someone proceeds to it before the call, he has hastened to good deeds and set out before further delay became impermissible. Would any rational person say that he must return home so that he can set out when the call is made?

The same applies to ablution: a Muslim may have performed ablution for the noon prayer before the sun passes its zenith, for the sunset prayer before sunset, or for the dawn prayer before dawn breaks, although he only rises for prayer after its time has begun. Anyone who says that he must repeat his ablution is