Do I Need to Repeat Past Prayers for an Error in Wudu?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question

For years, I washed my arms from the elbow to the wrist in wudu, not realizing that the hands to the fingertips are included. Must I redo my ghusl and repeat eighteen years of prayers?

Answer

Be at ease: your worship stands, and you do not repeat eighteen years of anything.

Here is why. In wudu, the arms are washed to the elbows, hands included — but nearly everyone begins wudu by washing the hands to the wrists, and water reaches them again in the rest of the washing.

It is far-fetched that someone washes the face, arms, and feet without water covering the hands. Reasonable surety of this kind has the standing of certainty in the Sacred Law, and certainty is not lifted by later doubt. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Your wudu, your ghusl, and your prayers are assumed valid — and worry does not count as knowledge. Allah Most High says: “Allah wills for you ease, and wills not for you hardship.” [Quran 2:185; Keller, The Quran Beheld]

Only if you were ever certain that specific prayers were prayed without a valid wudu would anything be owed—and even then, the way is a gentle estimate made up gradually, as a debt to a Merciful Lord, never a cause for distress.

Going forward, simply include the hands to the fingertips when you wash the arms, and pay no attention to videos that unsettle you about worship already offered.

May Allah accept every prayer of those eighteen years and increase you in light.

And Allah knows best.

[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani

Related Answers

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Discusses how to ignore obsessive doubts about worship and belief.

How to Make Up Many Years of Missed Prayers?
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Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is a recognized specialist scholar in the Islamic sciences, having studied under leading scholars from around the world. He is the Founder and Executive Director of SeekersGuidance.

Shaykh Faraz stands as a distinguished figure in Islamic scholarship. His journey in seeking knowledge is marked by dedication and depth. He spent ten years studying under some of the most revered scholars of our times. His initial studies took place in Damascus. He then continued in Amman, Jordan.

In Damascus, he was privileged to learn from the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas. Shaykh Adib al-Kallas was renowned as the foremost theologian of his time. Shaykh Faraz also studied under Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi in Damascus. Shaykh Hassan is recognized as one of the leading Hanafi jurists of our era.

Upon completing his studies, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in 2007. His return marked a new chapter in his service to the community. He founded SeekersGuidance. The organization reflects his commitment to spreading Islamic knowledge. It aims to be reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible. This mission addresses both online and on-the-ground needs.

Shaykh Faraz is also an accomplished author. His notable work includes “Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School,” published by White Thread Press in 2004, which is a significant contribution to Islamic literature.

His influence extends beyond his immediate community. Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been recognized as one of the 500 most influential Muslims. This recognition comes from the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center. It underscores his impact on the global Islamic discourse.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani’s life and work embody a profound commitment to Islamic scholarship. His teachings continue to enlighten and guide seekers of knowledge worldwide.