If I miss a small spot when making wudu, is my wudu still valid?

No — water must reach every part of the limbs Allah named in Quran 5:6, and a dry patch means that limb was not washed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man who had left a spot the size of a fingernail on his foot unwashed and told him, "Go back and perform your wudu properly" (Sahih Muslim 243), and seeing men whose heels were still dry he raised his voice: "Woe to the heels from the Fire" (Sahih al-Bukhari 60). If you notice the missed spot immediately, simply wash it. If a long time has passed and the limbs have dried, the Hanbalis (and the Malikis where the delay was deliberate) require repeating the whole wudu because continuity (muwalat) has been broken, while the Hanafis and Shafi'is, who hold muwalat to be a sunnah rather than an obligation, say it is enough to wash the missed spot. This is why the heels, the sides of the feet, the elbows and the area under a ring deserve extra attention.

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