Tayammum
(The Dry Ablution)
(The Dry Ablution)
By
Sayyid Sābiq
In
the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;
All
the praise and thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-‘ālamīn. I testify that
there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam is His Messenger.
Definition: Literally Tayammum means
“aim, purpose.” In Islamic law, it refers to “aiming for or seeking soil to
wipe one's face and hands with the intention of preparing oneself to observe solat,
and so on.”
Tayammum is verified by the Qur’an, Sunnah
and the Ijma’ (consensus). The Qur’an says, “And if
you are ill, or on a journey or one of you come from relieving himself, or you
have touched women, and you do not find water, then go to high clean soil and
rub your face and hands (therewith). Lo, Allah is Benign, Forgiving” (An-Nisā’,
4:43). From the Sunnah we have the hadith related by Abu Umamah (radiyallāhu`anhu)
in which the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said, “All of the earth has been made for me and my nation a
pure place of prayer. Whenever a person from my nation wants to pray, he has
something with which to purify himself, that is, the earth.” (Related by
Ahmad) Finally, there is a consensus that tayammum forms a legitimate part of
the shari'ah, as it replaces ablution or ghusl under specific circumstances.
This form of ablution is viewed as a
blessing from Allah to the Muslims. Jabir bin Abdullah (radiyallāhu`anhu) relates that the Allāh’s Messenger
(Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said, “I have been
given five things that were not given to anyone before me: I have been made
victorious due to fear for a distance of one month's journey; the earth has
been made a place of prayer for me--wherever and whoever of my nation wants to
pray, he may pray; and the war booty has been made lawful for me, and this was
not lawful for anyone before me. I have been given permission to intercede. The
prophets used to be raised for their own people only, but I have been raised
for all of mankind.” (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
'Aishah (radiyallāhu`anha) said, “We went out with the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu
`alayhi wasallam) on one of his journeys until we reached Baida’. At this
place, one of my bracelets broke and fell somewhere. The Allāh’s Messenger
(Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) and others began to look for it. There was no
water at that place, nor did anyone have any water with him. The people went to
Abu Bakar and said, “Do you see what your daughter has done?” Abu Bakar came to
me, while the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) was sleeping on
my thigh. He blamed me and said to me whatever Allah willed him to say. He also
poked me in my side. I could not move, for the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu
`alayhi wasallam), was sleeping on my lap. He slept until the morning without
any water available. Then, Allah revealed the verse of tayammum. As-Sayyid Ibn Huzhain
said, “That was not the first blessing from the family of Abu Bakar.”
The camel that I was on got up and we found the necklace underneath it.”
(Related by “the group” except for at-Tirmidzi.)
'Imran bin Husain (radiyallāhu`anhu)
said, “We were with the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) during
a journey. When he led the people in prayer, one man stayed apart. He asked
him, “What prevented you from praying?” He said, ‘I need a post-nocturnal bath
and there is no water.’ He (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said, ‘Use the soil,
for it is sufficient.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
Abu Dharr (radiyallāhu`anhu) related
that the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said, “The soil is a purifier for a Muslim, even if he does not
find water for twenty years.” (Related by “the four.” At-Tirmidzi grades
it hassan sahih.) But before one makes tayammum, he must look for water from
any possible source. If he is sure water is not to be found or it is too far
away, he does not have to look for it.
If one is in this condition, and
believes water will worsen it (he does not have to be absolutely sure, but may
base his opinion on past experience or what a knowledgeable person has told
him), he may perform tayammum. Jabir bin Abdullah (radiyallāhu`anhu) said, “We
were on a journey and one of us got injured. Later, he had a wet dream. He
asked his companions, 'Can I perform tayammum?' They said, 'No, not if you have
water.' He performed ghusl and died. When they came to the Allāh’s Messenger
(Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam), they informed him of what had transpired. He
said, 'They killed him, Allah will kill them. Do you not ask if you do not
know? The rescue of the ignorant person is the question. He could have
performed tayammum and dropped water on his wound or wrapped it with something
and wipe over the wrapping, and wash the rest of his body.” This is related by
Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, ad-Daraqutni and Ibn as-Sakin, who said it is sahih.
This is only allowed on the
condition that he can find no one to heat it, or is unable to use the public
bathrooms. 'Amr Ibn al-‘Aas (radiyallāhu`anhu) narrated that he was
participating in an expedition. He had a wet dream during an extremely cold
night, and was afraid that if he performed ghusl he would die. He prayed the Morning
Prayer with his companions. He then went to the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu
`alayhi wasallam), upon whom be peace, to ask him about this. Muhammad said, “O
‘Amr did you pray with your companions while you needed a post-nocturnal bath?”
`Amr mentioned the verse, “Do not kill yourselves, Allah is merciful to you” to
the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam). The Allāh’s Messenger
(Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) just laughed and didn't say anything. (Related
by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Hakim, ad-Daraqutni, Ibn Hibban and al-Bukhari in
mu'allaq form.) This example illustrated the Prophet's tacit approval.
If one fears for his life, family,
wealth, (for example, if an enemy is nearby--beast or human--or one is a
prisoner, and so on), one may perform tayammum. This is also allowed if there
is water but one lacks the proper means to get it, or if one fears some
accusation against him if he gets it.
This could be for a hound, for
dough, cooking or to remove an impurity that is not pardonable. Imam Ahmad says,
“Many of the companions performed tayammum to save their water for drinking.” `Ali
said that a man who is travelling and becomes unclean because of sex or a wet
dream can perform tayammum if he fears he will go thirsty: “He should perform
tayammum and not ghusl.” (Related by ad-Daraqutni.) Ibn Taimiyyah says, “If a
person needs to relieve himself but has only a small amount of water, it is
best that he pray with tayammum and relieve himself, rather than keep his
ablution and pray before relieving himself.”
He can perform tayammum and pray,
and does not need to repeat his prayer (after he gets water).
It must be pure soil: this can be
sand, stone, gypsum, and so on. Says Allah, “Perform tyammum with pure soil,”
and all scholars of Arabic agree that “soil” is whatever covers the earth, dirt
or otherwise.
First, one must have the intention
(see the section on ablution). Then, he mentions Allah's name, strikes the soil
with his hands, and wipes his face and his hands up to the wrist. Nothing is
more authentic and clear than what 'Ammar related. He said, “We became sexually
impure and had no water, so we rolled in the dirt and prayed. This was
mentioned to the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) and he said, ‘This
would have been enough for you,’ and he struck the earth with his hands, blew
in them and then wiped his face and hands with them.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari
and Muslim). In another text he states, “It would have been enough for you to
strike the ground with your hands, blow into them, and then wipe your face and
hands up to the elbows.” (Recorded by ad-Daraqutni.)
This hadith shows that one strike of
the earth is sufficient, and one only wipes the arms to the wrists. It is from
the Sunnah that one who makes tayammum with dirt should blow into his hands
first and not make his face dusty or dirty.
After doing so, he is pure and may
do any of the acts requiring prior purification, such as praying and touching
the Qur’an. He does not have to perform it during the time of prayer, and he
may pray as many prayers as he wishes (unless he nullifies it), exactly as he
can after performing the regular ablution. Abu Dharr reported that the Allāh’s
Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said, “The soil is a purifier for a
Muslim, even if he does not find water for twenty years. Then if he touches
water, that is, to make ablution, and so on, it would be good.” This is recorded
by Ahmad and at-Tirmizhi, who said it is sahih.
In addition to the presence of
water, everything that nullifies the ablution nullifies tayammum. If a person
prays after performing tayammum and then finds water, he does not need to
repeat his prayer even if there is time left to do so. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (radiyallāhu`anhu)
said, “Two men went out on a journey. The time of prayer came and, as they had
no water, they performed tayammum. Then they found some water during the time
of the same prayer. One of them repeated his prayer with ablution and the other
did not. When they saw the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam),
they asked him about the proper procedure in such a case. He said to the one,
who did not repeat his prayer, ‘You have acted according to the Sunnah and your
prayer is sufficient for you.’ He said to the other, ‘You will get a double
reward.”‘ (Recorded by Abu Dawud and an-Nasa`ie) If one comes across water
before he prays or finishes his prayer with tayammum, his prayer becomes null
and void, for he must make ablution with water. If a person is not clean
because of sex or a wet dream, or a woman is menstruating, and they pray after
performing tayammum, they need not repeat their prayer after finding water, but
they must perform ghusl with water when they can. ‘Umar (radiyallāhu`anhu) said,
“The Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) led the people in prayer,
and afterwards saw a man who had not prayed. He said, ‘Why didn’t you pray with
us?’ The man replied, ‘I was sexually unclean and there was no water.’ He told
him, ‘Use the soil, and it will be enough.’ ‘Imran then mentioned that they
later found water. The Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam), upon
whom be peace, brought a bowl of water for the man and told him to perform
ghusl. (Related by al-Bukhari)
It is allowable to wipe over any
wrapper or diseased or injured bodily part. There are many hadith on this
point, and although they are all weak, their many chains strengthen each other,
making them valid to talk about. One hadith, that of Jabir (quoted earlier),
relates a story about a man who was on a journey and suffered an injury. While
he slept, he had a wet dream, after which he asked his companions if he could
perform tayammum. They said he could not, so he made ghusl and died because of
it. When that was mentioned to the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam), he said “They killed him, may Allah kill them. Do you not ask about
what you do not know? ... It would have been enough for him to perform tayammum
and drop a little water over his wound or else wipe it, then to wipe it and
wash the rest of the body.” This is related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah,
ad-Daraqutni and Ibn as-Sakin, who classified it as sahih. Ibn ‘Umar used to do
this.
In fact, it is obligatory to wipe
over such casts or wrappers in ablution or ghusl instead of washing the injured
parts. This must be done even if he has to heat the water. But, if he believes
that this would harm the diseased or injured part, or that his condition may
worsen, or that his pain would increase, he may wipe the injured part with
water. If he fears that this would also be harmful, he should wrap it and then
gently wipe over it. It is not necessary for him to be in a state of purity
while applying the cast or wrapper to be wiped. There is also no time limit for
such wipings, for he can do so as long as his condition lasts. Removing the
wrapper or cast nullifies the wiping, as does the final cure.
Whoever cannot get water or soil may
pray in whatever state he is in, and he will not have to repeat his prayer
later. This is based on what Muslim related from ‘Aishah (radiyallāhu`anha).
She had borrowed some jewelry from ‘Asma and it broke (and fell). The Allāh’s
Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam), sent some people to search for it.
The prayer time came and they had to pray without ablution. When they came to
the Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam), they complained to him
and the verses of tayammum were revealed. Usaid ibn Huzhair said, “May Allah
give you good recompense. Allah never reveals an order with respect to you
except that He removes by it some hardship and gives the Muslims some benefit.”
The companions prayed while in a state of impurity, but the Allāh’s Messenger
(Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) did not admonish them nor did he order them to
repeat their prayers. An-Nawawi (rahimallāh) says, “That is the strongest
statement of proof (on this question).”
And Allāh Almighty Knows best.
[Excerpted from Fiqh-us-Sunnah,
Volume 1: "Tayammum - The Dry Ablution"
by Sayyid Sābiq ]
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