from sleep or ordinary sitting; or if, in addition, one of you has returned from relieving himself or you have had intercourse with women.

Thus, His words, Exalted is He:

“If you are ill or on a journey,”

address those who have been told:

“When you rise for prayer, wash,”

and:

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

The meaning is: You who rise for prayer, perform ablution. If you are in a state of major ritual impurity, bathe. If you are ill or travelling, perform dry ablution. Or if, alongside these two circumstances—rising for prayer while in a state of minor or major ritual impurity, and being ill or travelling—you have returned from relieving yourself or have had intercourse with women, then perform dry ablution if you have a valid excuse.

To clarify: this is an instance of coordinating a specific case with a general category, singling it out for mention because of its distinctive character. Its being singled out implies that distinction. In such cases, one may say that it is included in the general category and then mentioned specifically. Alternatively, one may say that its separate mention excludes it from the general category.

This occurs in coordination with “or.” As for coordination with “and,” examples include His words, Exalted is He:

“His angels and His messengers, Gabriel and Michael,”

and:

“And when We took from the prophets their covenant, and from you, and from Noah and Abraham,”

to the end of the verse. Another example is His statement:

“Indeed, prayer restrains one from indecency and wrongdoing,”

and similar passages. As for “or,” examples include His words, Exalted is He:

“And those who, when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins,”

and His words: “And whoever does