Muwalat

Muwālāt (succession), (Arabic: الموالاة) is a term in jurisprudence meaning "not to make a long pause between the acts of one task". Observing muwalat in wudu' and prayer is among requirements for their correctness, but it is not obligatory in sequential ghusl.

Furu' al-Din

Prayer Wajib: Daily Prayers • Essentials of Prayer • Friday Prayer • Eid Prayer • Al-Ayat Prayer • Funeral Prayer• Istijari Prayer Mustahab: Night Prayer • Ghufayla Prayer • Ja'far al-Tayyar Prayer Other types of worship Fasting • Khums • Zakat • Hajj • Jihad • Enjoining the good • Forbidding the evil • Tawalli • Tabarri Rulings on Tahara Wudu' • Ghusl • Tayammum • Najis • Mutahhirat • Tadhkiya • Dhabh Civil Law Wikala • Wasiyya • Diman • Kifala • Irth Family Law Marriage • Temporary marriage • Polygamy • Divorce • Mahr • Breastfeeding • Intercourse • Sexual gratification • Adopted child • Formula for marriage Criminal Law Judgment • Diyat • Hudud • Qisas • Ta'zir • Hoarding Economic Laws Bay' • Ijara • Qard • Riba • Majhul al-Malik • Shari'a payments Other Laws Hijab • Sadaqa • Nadhr • Taqlid • Foods and drinks • Waqf See also Fiqh • Rulings of Shari'a • Manual of Islamic law • Puberty • Wajib • Haram • Mustahab • Mubah • Makruh

Some jurists have considered it obligatory to observe muwalat between the elements of a religious formula of contracts.

Meaning

Muwalat is derived from the root of "wa-la-ya" (وَلَیَ) meaning "adherence between two things". In jurisprudential terminology, "muwalat" is doing acts of a task successively and without an unusual pause or in another statement it means that each action must be performed one after the other, without interruption between the actions.

Cases of Obligation

Observing muwalat in some acts of worship such as wudu' and prayer is among requirements for their correctness.

Prayer

Main article: Prayer

Elements of payer such as recitation, ruku' and prostration, etc. should be performed successively, without any unusual pause between them. Making a long pause between them in a way that people do not consider it prayer anymore invalidates the prayer, even if it happens unintentionally or inadvertently.

Prolonging ruku' or prostration or reciting long suras does not harm muwalat.

Wudu'

Main article: Wudu'

Observing muwalat in the acts of wudu' is among the requirements of its correctness meaning that the person should not make such a long pause that in normal weather, previous parts of wudu' become dry. Thus, if due to hot weather or wind, previous parts of wudu' become dry, muwalat is not harmed.

Adhan and Iqamah

Main articles: Adhan and Iqamah

Based on the fatwa of the majority of Shi'a jurists, adhan and iqamah are recommended, but the requirement for their correctness is observing muwalat between their phrases, meaning that every phrase should be said immediately after another and the pause between them should not be unusually long.

Muwalat in Ghusl

Main article: Ghusl

Ghusl can be performed in two methods, sequential and by immersion.

In sequential ghusl that first the head and neck and then the right side of the body and then the lift side are washed, observing muwalat is not a condition, meaning that a person can make pauses between washing different parts of the body. But, in ghusl by immersion in which the body is immersed into water at once, observing muwalat is a condition for correctness of ghusl.

Muwalat in Religious Contracts

Religious contracts such as selling, buying and marriage have two parts of offer and acceptance, meaning that expressing consent by each party is required to be performed using a certain formula for binding these contracts. Some jurists consider muwalat between these parts obligatory.