Section: Observing the Prescribed Order in Ablution and Other Acts of Worship and Contracts

The disagreement over this is well known. According to al-Shāfiʿī and Ahmad, it is obligatory; according to Mālik and Abū Hanīfah, it is not. Ahmad explicitly affirmed its obligation on several occasions. The earlier scholars—such as al-Qādī and those before him—reported no contrary position from him.

Abū Muhammad said: “I have seen no contrary report from him on this.” He added: “Abū al-Khattāb related another report from Ahmad stating that it is not obligatory.”

I say: This was inferred from his explicit statement concerning the handful of water used to rinse the nose. If this washing is delayed until after washing the feet, there are two explicit reports from Ahmad on the matter. In one of them, he said that if someone forgot both rinsing the mouth and rinsing the nose until after praying, he should rinse his mouth and nose and repeat the prayer, but not repeat the ablution. This is based on the report in the Sunan collections from al-Miqdām ibn Maʿdīkarib:

“He was brought water for ablution. He washed his hands three times, then washed his face three times, then washed his forearms three times, then rinsed his mouth and nose.”