A person who was following a religious authority and then switched to another authority asks about the validity of their previous acts of worship, particularly concerning their ablution and prayers.
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Khamenei (may Allah protect him):
Your previous actions that were performed according to valid religious guidelines are considered valid. If any of those actions were based on a non-compliant religious authority, they are valid if they align with the rulings of the authority you are currently following; otherwise, you need to rectify them. In your case, if your previous following was not in accordance with religious guidelines, your prayers performed without a proper ablution are deemed invalid. However, if you believed your ablution was valid, your fasting is considered valid in this scenario.
Source: Special Inquiry + Answers to Inquiries - Following a Jurist - Switching from One Jurist to Another - Q 32
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sistani (may Allah protect him):
If you intended to perform the ablution correctly and the water covered all of your skin, even if you did not follow the order due to a genuine misunderstanding, there is no issue. However, if you did not intend to perform the ablution or if the water did not cover your entire body, you must make up the prayers you performed while in a state of impurity. Therefore, in your case, you do not need to repeat your prayers or fasting.
Source: Official Website.
May you be successful in all good.