(Ablution is one of the conditions) for the validity (of prayer.) Ablution is using water on specific organs beginning with a specific intention. (The integrals of ablution are six:
1. According to Imam ash-Shafi^iyy[1], to have the intention of purification for prayer) in the heart (–or any equivalent intention—) like to intend ablution, or the obligation of ablution, or intending to make that which needs ablution permissible, like to intend making the prayer permissible for one to perform or touching the book of the Quran. Mentioning the intention with one’s tongue without being conscious of it in the heart does not suffice. Also, making the intention for purification only does not suffice. The intention must be (when the water first touches the face.) i.e. congruent with when the water touches the first part of the face, not before or after. This is according to our Imam, Imam ashShafi^iyy, may Allah raise his rank, (However, according to Imam Malik[2],) the son of Anas, may Allah raise his rank (it is enough if the intention preceded washing the face by a short time.)
(2.) (The second) obligation of ablution is (To wash) the apparent part of (the whole face,) one time. The vertical boundary of the face is (from the normal hairline) considering the case of most people, (to the) bottom of the (chin), the chin is where the two sides of the mandible bone meet; (and) as for the horizontal boundary of the face, it is (from) the tragus of (one ear to the) tragus of the (other) ear. Hence, it is obligatory to wash everything within the boundary of the face, (including the hair and skin,) i.e. the epidermis, (but not) i.e. it is not obligatory to wash (the inner part of the man’s thick beard.) The beard is the hair growth on the chin. It is also not an obligation to wash the man’s thick mandibular hair, i.e. the hair growth on the skin above the mandible bone. So if the hair was thick, only the outer, apparent hair would be washed, without it being an obligation to wash the inner part of the beard and mandibular hair. But if the growth was not thick, then it is obligatory to wash the both the apparent part and inner part. A thick growth is defined as that through which the skin cannot be seen; and the thin growth is the opposite.
(3.) The third integral of ablution is (To wash the hands) (and the forearms) (up to and including the elbows) one time, the elbow is the where the humerus of the upper arm and the ulna of the forearm meet (and what is on them.) including hair, even if it is thick, nails, excess flesh-growth, cracks, and injury scabs.
(4.) The fourth integral of ablution is (To wet wipe the head or part of it) one time, even if the wiping was on part of the head where no hair grows, and it is permissible to wipe (–even if it is only one hair–) or part of a hair, because the action of wiping is fulfilled by that; that is if the wiped part of the hair was (within the boundary of the head.) in such a way the wiped part of the hair does not leave the boundary of the head when it is stretched towards the direction of its normal fall, if it does then the wiping of that part does not suffice.
(5.) The fifth integral of ablution is (To wash the feet,) and what is on them including hair, excess flesh-growth, nails, and cracks, (including the ankles,) one time; the ankles are the bones protruding from the lowest part of the lower leg. As for the one who is wearing the footgear (kuff) he is obligated to either wash his feet (or else to wet wipe the footgear (khuff) when the conditions of the footgear are fulfilled.) The conditions of the footgear are that it be pure, cover the whole foot including the ankles, be suitable to walk in without soles in order to satisfy the needs of the traveler in rest and departure, to wear it after having complete purification, and that it be waterproof i.e. does not allow water to seep through.
(6.) The sixth integral of ablution is (To observe the aforementioned order.) i.e. to perform the integrals in the order they were mentioned beginning with washing the face coupled with the intention, then washing the hands and forearms, then wiping the head, then washing the feet.
[1] His biography,may Allah accept his deeds, was mentioned previously.
[2] He is Malik the son of Anas alAsbahiyy alMuduniyy (from the city of Madinah). He was the Imam of Darul Hijrah and one of the four great scholars, founder of the Maliki School of thought. He was born in the Enlightened city of Madinah in the year 93 Hijrah and died in alMadinah in the year 179 and was buried in alBaqi^, may Allah raise his rank. Reference atTarikh alKabir, (The Institution of Educational Books) Mu’asasat alKutub athThaqafiyyah (310/7) and al JarH watTa^dil, Darul ‘Umam, 1st edition (11/1).