What is the ruling on prayers, acts of obedience, reciting the Qur’an, and Hajj for someone who used to err in washing their hands during wudu’ by only washing them from the wrist to the elbow, and what should they do to expiate this error?

When washing the face during ablution (wudu'), the hands must be washed from the fingertips to the elbows. It is not sufficient to wash them only from the wrists to the elbows. Washing the hands at the very beginning of the ablution does not compensate for this, due to the requirement of sequential order (tartib) between the limbs according to the majority of jurists.

Nevertheless, if someone did this out of ignorance, they are not required to repeat it for two reasons: 1. Ignorance of the ruling: Allah has forgiven error and forgetfulness. And whoever has not been informed of a specific command of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, is not bound by its obligatory ruling. 2. The issue is a matter of scholarly disagreement: The Hanafis consider this ablution valid because they do not stipulate sequential order, and they consider washing the hands at the beginning of ablution a sunnah that can substitute for the fard (obligatory act).

Therefore, one who restricted the washing of their hands to from the wrists to the elbows is not commanded to repeat the ablution, out of consideration for this disagreement. However, they should correct their ablution in the future.