- Tayammum

If you have not performed ablution or in need of a bath but do not have access to water, the you must perform Tayammum. There are a few situations for not having access to water.

1) You have such an illness that by using water to perform ablution or have a bath it will make the illness worse or would delay the recovery, and this is not just an assumption but you are sure about it. Either you have tried and found out about it or a pious Muslim doctor has given you this advice, then Tayammum is allowed.

2) If it is just an assumption that the illness will get worse or a wrongdoer, infidel or non qualified doctor has advised you then Tayammum is not allowed.

3) If the illness gets worse due to using cold water, but is okay when using warm water, then you must use warm water to perform ablution or have a bath because Tayammum is not allowed. However, if you cannot get warm water then you can perform Tayammum. Also if it is the case that during cold times the illness gets worse but is fine during warm times, then perform Tayammum in the cold times and when the warm time comes, perform ablution or have a bath with water in readiness for the cold times. Whatever Salaah has been prayed whilst with the Tayammum is not necessary to be repeated.

4) If by pouring water over the head affects the illness, then bath with water below the neck and perform Masah for all of the head.

5) If there is a particular part of the body which is affected when using water, then perform Masah over that part and wash the rest of the body with water.

6) If a particular part is affected even by performing Masah, then put a piece of cloth over it and perform Masah over the cloth.

7) All the corners of the wound where water will not have an affect must be washed as this is o bligatory and also lift any bandage or the corners, however, if by lifting the bandage it will affect the wound then perform Masah over the wound.

Where there is no sign or knowledge of water for a full square mile the Tayammum is allowed.

1) If there is a thought that there is water within a mile, then you must search for it as Tayammum is not allowed. If you did not search for water and performed Tayammum and then prayed Salaah, later you found water then you must pray the Salaah again after performing ablution. If however, you did not find water then the Salaah will count.

2) If you are praying Salaah and you see someone with water and think that if you asked them they would give you the water, then you must break the Salaah and ask for the water.

4. The weather is so cold and you are truly confident that by bathing you will either die or get ill and you have no medicine available that will cure your cold, then Tayammum is allowed.

5. You have the fear of an enemy that if they see you they will kill you or steal your possessions or you owe them money and are poor and they will get you imprisoned, the Tayammum is allowed. You see a snake near the water and fear that it will bite you, or you see a tiger and fear that it will maul you, or there is a bad person there who will rape you then Tayammum is allowed.

6. You are in a jungle and have no bucket and rope that you can collect the water, and then the Tayammum is allowed.

7. You are thirsty and have water but are aware that if you use it for performing ablution or having a bath, you will suffer with thirst or you have an animal with (whether it be a dog which you are not allowed to keep) and are aware that it will suffer thirst or after some time, and your journey is a long one without knowledge that water may be available later, then Tayammum is allowed.

1) You have water but require it to mix flour for food then Tayammum is allowed. If water is required to make a soup, then Tayammum is not allowed.

1) You have stuck either on your body or clothing some impurity and is obligatory for you to clean, you only have enough water to either clean the impurity or perform ablution, then you must first clean the impurity and then perform Tayammum. If Tayammum is performed before it will not count and after cleaning the impurity you must perform Tayammum again.

8. The water to purchase is expensive. Meaning whatever the going price is the seller is asking for twice as much then Tayammum is allowed. However, if there is not a big difference, meaning less than double then Tayammum is not allowed.

9. If by searching for water you will get lost from your group or you will miss your train, then Tayammum is allowed.

10. You are in doubt that if you perform ablution with water you will miss the Eid Salaah either the Imam will perform Salaam or the time will reach midday, then Tayammum is allowed in both situations. 

13 If you think that by performing ablution with water your time for praying the latter Sunnahs of Dhuhr, Maghrib, 'Isha or Ju'ma will go or your time for the Salaah of Chast will be missed, then perform Tayammum and pray them.

11. If you are not the organiser of a funeral procession and fear that if you wait to perform ablution you will miss the Janaza Salaah the Tayammum is allowed.

C22.14 You have gone to sleep inside a mosque and then are in need of having a bath (bathing has become obligatory for you e.g. had a wet dream) then perform Tayammum and come out of the mosque, to delay is Haram.

C22.15 It is not allowed to perform Tayammum to touch the Qur'an or perform Sajda-e-Tilawat or Sajda-e-Shukr when access to water is available.

C22.16 The time is so short that if you perform ablution or have a bath the Salaah will become Qadha, then perform Tayammum and pray the Salaah and after have a bath or perform ablution and repeat the Salaah as this is necessary.

C22.17 A woman has become clean from her menstrual cycle or childbirth bleeding and has no access to water, then perform Tayammum.

C22.18 You have only enough water to perform ablution, however, you are in obligation to have a bath, then perform ablution with the water and perform Tayammum for bathing.

The method of Tayammum

C23.1 After making the intention of Tayammum, say 'Bismillahirrahma Nirrahim' and press both hands on to the ground which contains items of pure substance. If a lot of substance gets stuck on the hands then hit the hands together so the excess is shaken off. Then with these hands wipe over the whole face. Repeat the action again and wipe over both arms from the fingernails to and including the elbows, and this is the Tayammum completed.

C23.2 The wiping of the head and feet are not performed in Tayammum. There are only three aspects that are obligatory in Tayammum, the rest are Sunnah.

 Obligatory (Fardh) aspects in Tayammum
C24.1 To make the intention. Meaning to have the intention of performing ablution or bath or both to gain cleanliness. If the intention of Tayammum is made after hitting the hands on the ground, then the Tayammum will not count. The intention of Tayammum in the heart is obligatory (Fardh), also it is better to say it with the tongue. For example, Say "I am performing Tayammum to rid of the impurities of being without bathing or being without ablution so that my Salaah will be allowed" then say 'Bismillah 'ir' 'Rahman''ir' 'Rahim' and hit the hands on the soil.

2 To rub your hands all over the face so that no hair or skin will remain untouched, otherwise the Tayammum will not count.

3 To rub your hands over both arms including the elbows. If any part is left untouched then the Tayammum will not count.

4 It is necessary to rub your hands over the hair of the beard or mouchtache or eyebrows.

5 The same area is applicable as when performing ablution, except Tayammum is not done inside the mouth. Whatever lips show after closing the mouth must be rubbed.

6 When hitting the hands ensure that they are not clapped. The way to do this is put one thumb over another thumb and join both hands together so that the excess drops off.

7 If the soil has not reached between the fingers then it is obligatory to run the fingers between each other (Khalal) otherwise it is Sunnah. The same applies to the beard hair.

8 If in one Tayammum the intention of both a bath and ablution is made, then this is sufficient as the Tayammum for both will be accepted.

9 The Tayammum of a bath and an ablution is done in the same way.

Materials that can and cannot be used for Tayammum
1 Tayammum can be done with material which is from the earth, and whatever is not from the earth cannot be used to perform Tayammum.

2 Whatever material that cannot be changed or melted or softened by burning is from the material of the earth and can be used to perform Tayammum. Therefore:
a) soil, b) dust, c) sand, d) lime, e) antimony, f) sulphate, g) brimstone, h) slate, i) brick dust, j) stone, k) jasper, l) turquoise, m) carnelian, n) emerald and other precious stones etc, can all be used to perform Tayammum even if they do not have dust on them.

3 It is necessary that whatever material is used for Tayammum that it is clean, meaning from impurities or has had impurities on it.

4 Whatever item has had impurity dried on it and has no more effect of the impurity left still cannot be used to perform Tayammum, however can be used to pray Salaah on.

5 If there is suspicion that it may have been impure at one time is unnecessary and therefore has no effect.

6 You cannot perform Tayammum with ashes.

7 If ashes are mixed in with earth and there is more earth, then Tayammum is allowed, otherwise not.

8 Tayammum is allowed with wet soil as long as the soil has overcome with water.

9 If a piece of wood or clothing has so much dust on it that when putting the hand on it, it makes a mark the Tayammum is allowed.

10 Tayammum is allowed by using a cemented wall [Bahar-e-Shariah etc.].

11 Baked Brick is allowed to be used for Tayammum [Bahar-e-Shariah etc.]

12 Tayammum is allowed when the earth or stone turns black from fire. Also if stone turns into ash then Tayammum is still allowed. 

Actions that break Tayammum
1) Whatever actions break the ablution or make bathing necessary also break the Tayammum. The additional aspect is to have power over water again will also break the Tayammum.

2) If you past a position where water is available within a mile then the Tayammum will break as it is not necessary to actually reach the water, however, if you were asleep when you went past the position, then the need for Tayammum will not break.

3) If an ill person performed Tayammum instead of bathing but is now much healthier that if he did have a bath with water it would not harm him, then the Tayammum will break.

4) If you found enough water that you could wash the parts that are obligatory in ablution once each, then the Tayammum will break and if the water is less than that, then it won't break. The same applies if you found enough water to perform the obligatory aspects of bathing once then the Tayammum of bathing will break, otherwise not.

5) If you performed one Tayammum for both bathing and ablution and then you performed an act that would break the ablution or you find enough water so that you can perform ablution or you become well from illness that if you performed ablution it would not harm you, then the Tayammum allowed for ablution will go but the Tayammum allowed for bathing will remain.