ABLUTION SECTION · 67 – Washing limbs with pauses in ablution
173 – Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) related:
A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), performed ablution, leaving a spot on his foot as dry as a fingernail. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him, “Return and perform your ablution properly.” [142]
Abu Dawud said:
The narration of this hadith from Jarir ibn Hazim is not well-known. However, Ibn Wahb narrated from Malik ibn Ubaydullah al-Jazari, who narrated from Abu Zubeir, who narrated from Jabir, who narrated from Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) a similar account of this hadith. The narration states, “Return and perform your ablution properly.”
174 – From Hasan al-Basri (may Allah be pleased with him):
It was related in the meaning of a preceding hadith narrated by Qatadah from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
175 – It is related from some of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw a man performing prayer with a spot on his foot as dry as a dirham where water had not reached. He ordered him to renew his ablution and prayer. [143]
EXPLANATION:
These hadiths provide evidence that if a spot the size of a fingernail or a dirham remains dry, the ablution is not valid.