Tayammum

This is sometimes called ‘Dry Ablution’ since it is done in the place of Wudhu but is done without using water. It is a special favour given by Allah, he says:

Quran

وَإِنْ كُنتُمْ جُنَّبًا فَاطَّهَّرُوا وَإِنْ كُنتُمْ مَرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لَا مَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ مِنْهُ مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَكِنْ يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

“… If you are ill or on a journey or have been to the toilet… and you cannot find water then do the ‘dry ablution’ with clean earth by wiping your faces and hands with it…” (Al-Maida 5:6)

Abu Saeed al-Khudri reports that two men were on a journey and when the time for prayer came they could not find any water so they did ‘dry ablution’ and performed their prayer. But a little later they found water. One of them did Wudhu and repeated his prayer but the other did not. When they returned to Madinah they told the beloved Messenger about this. He said to the man who didn’t repeat his prayer: “You practiced the Sunnah.” And to the other man he said, “You have been given double reward.” (Abu Dawud)

When can Tayammum be done?

When a person wants to offer Salah and he is unable to do Wudhu either because he can’t find water or because he is unable to use water, one can do Tayammum. It can be done in the following situations.

1. Illness an illness that will become worse if water is used. For example burns.
2. No water there is no water for at least a mile around.
3. Too cold-if it is very cold and one can’t warm the water up.
4. When late if one fears he will miss his train, bus or flight if he goes in search for water to do Wudhu.
5. Risk of missing a prayer-When one fears he will miss the Funeral or Eid Salah if he went to do Wudhu (because these can’t be repeated).

If these travellers do not have enough water, what will they use to perform Tayammum?

How to do Tayammum.

There are three compulsory things in Tayammum: –

1. To make the intention.
2. To wipe whole the face with both hands.
3. To wipe both hands from tips of the fingers to the elbows.
a. First make the intention “I am doing Tayammum to be able to offer my Salah.”
b. Say Bismillah.
c. Then lay both hands on stone, sand or clay, or anything covered with dust. Then shake off any dust by clapping together both hands.
d. Now wipe the face with both hands. Repeat (c).
e. Wipe the right hand and then the left hand up to the elbow.

The objects one can use to perform Tayammum

Tayammum can be done with anything from the earth. This excludes things that burn like wood, or melt like metals, iron or copper. So this means things like sand, clay, stone and chalk can be used. However if there is dust on wooden furniture or a metal object they can be used.

Tayammum will be broken by the following things:

All those things that break Wudhu will break Tayammum.

When water is found Tayammum will be broken.