What is the ruling on a person who
washes his arm from the wrist to the elbow, without washing his hand, thinking that
washing it at the beginning of wudoo’ is sufficient? Does he have to repeat his
wudoo’?

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not sufficient in wudoo’ to limit oneself to
washing the forearm only, without washing the palm. When you have finished washing the
face, you start by washing the two hands, then wash each arm from the fingertips to the
elbows. If you washed them before you washed your face, the first washing is Sunnah, but
washing them after washing the face is fard (obligatory). Whoever only washes the arms
between the wrists and elbows has not completed the obligatory action that is required of
him, so he has to repeat his wudoo’ after he finishes it, or he has to wash the parts
he has omitted, if he did wudoo’ recently, so he has to wash his two hands and what
comes after that.