Question 495: What is the duty of someone who realizes they have prayed without ablution (wudu)?

200 13 Feb 2021
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✅Answer:

Pay attention to the answers of the Divine Authorities:

1 عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: إِذَا دَخَلَ الْوَقْتُ وَجَبَ الطَّهُورُ وَ الصَّلَاةُ وَ لَا صَلَاةَ إِلَّا بِطَهُورٍ

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p. 140

Imam Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said: When the time (of prayer) enters, purification (i.e., wudu, ghusl, or tayammum) and prayer become obligatory, and there is no prayer except with purification (wudu, ghusl, or tayammum).

2 عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: لَا تُعَادُ الصَّلَاةُ إِلَّا مِنْ خَمْسَةٍ الطَّهُورِ وَ الْوَقْتِ وَ الْقِبْلَةِ وَ الرُّكُوعِ وَ السُّجُودِ.

📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 339

Imam Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said: Prayer is not to be repeated except for five things: purification (i.e., wudu, ghusl, or tayammum), time, qibla, bowing, and prostration.

3 عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: إِذَا نَسِيتَ صَلَاةً أَوْ صَلَّيْتَهَا بِغَيْرِ وُضُوءٍ وَ كَانَ عَلَيْكَ قَضَاءُ صَلَوَاتٍ فَابْدَأْ بِأَوَّلِهِنَّ فَأَذِّنْ لَهَا وَ أَقِمْ ثُمَّ صَلِّهَا ثُمَّ صَلِّ مَا بَعْدَهَا بِإِقَامَةٍ إِقَامَةٍ لِكُلِّ صَلَاةٍ

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 291

Imam Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said: When you forget a prayer or perform it without ablution, and there are other obligatory prayers on you to be made up, then start with the first of them, say the call to prayer (adhan) and the iqamah for it, and perform it. Then perform the subsequent prayers with one iqamah for each prayer.

4 عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ صَلَّى بِغَيْرِ طَهُورٍ أَوْ نَسِيَ صَلَوَاتٍ لَمْ يُصَلِّهَا أَوْ نَامَ عَنْهَا فَقَالَ يَقْضِيهَا إِذَا ذَكَرَهَا فِي أَيِّ سَاعَةٍ ذَكَرَهَا مِنْ لَيْلٍ أَوْ نَهَارٍ الْحَدِيثَ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p. 266

Imam Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) was asked about a person who prayed without purification (i.e., without wudu, ghusl, or tayammum) or forgot to pray, or slept through it; the Imam said: When he remembers it, he must make it up, at any hour of the night or day that he remembers it!

5 عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: إِذَا نَسِيَ الرَّجُلُ صَلَاةً أَوْ صَلَّاهَا بِغَيْرِ طَهُورٍ وَ هُوَ مُقِيمٌ أَوْ مُسَافِرٌ فَذَكَرَهَا فَلْيَقْضِ الَّذِي وَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ لَا يَزِيدُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَ لَا يَنْقُصُ مَنْ نَسِيَ أَرْبَعاً فَلْيَقْضِ أَرْبَعاً مُسَافِراً كَانَ أَوْ مُقِيماً وَ إِنْ نَسِيَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ إِذَا ذَكَرَ مُسَافِراً كَانَ أَوْ مُقِيماً.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 3, p. 225

Imam Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said: If a person forgets a prayer or performs it without purification (i.e., without wudu, ghusl, or tayammum), whether they are a resident or a traveler, and then they remember it, they should make up what was obligatory upon them and not add to it or subtract from it. The one who forgot a four-rak'ah prayer must make up four rak'ahs, whether a resident or a traveler. And if they forgot a two-rak'ah prayer, whenever they remember it, they must make up two rak'ahs, whether they are a traveler or a resident (at the time of making it up).

✅ This means that if someone forgot a shortened prayer during a journey or performed it without wudu, and then intends to make it up in their hometown, they should make it up as two rak'ahs, which was their obligation. And if during a journey, they intend to make up four-rak'ah prayers from their time of residency in their hometown, they should perform it as four rak'ahs and not shorten the makeup prayer for the hometown due to travel.

✅ From the above narrations, it becomes clear that if someone has performed their prayer without wudu, ghusl, or tayammum, they must make it up because there is no prayer except with purification, i.e., wudu, ghusl, or tayammum, each of which is an obligation upon the person in its appropriate context.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ