Tayammum (dry ablution): when it is allowed and how to do it

Purification (Taharah) From the Quran · 2 From the Sunnah · 2

The ruling in short

Tayammum replaces wudu or ghusl when water cannot be found or cannot be used because of illness. The Quran says: if you do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe your faces and hands with it (5:6). The Prophet ﷺ said that the earth was made a place of prayer and a means of purification.

1

When it is allowed

  • No water is available after a reasonable search, or it is available only at a price that is beyond the person's means.
  • Using water would harm the person because of illness, a wound or severe cold, or would delay recovery.
  • The water that is present is needed for drinking, for oneself or for others, and there is not enough for both.

2

How to do it

  • Make the intention to use it for the prayer or for the purification that is needed.
  • Strike clean earth with both palms (once in the hadith of Ammar), and blow off the extra dust.
  • Wipe the face, and then the backs of the hands, as in the hadith of Ammar.

3

What cancels it

  • Everything that breaks wudu breaks tayammum.
  • Finding water, or being able to use it, before the prayer. If the water is found after the prayer, the prayer stands and need not be repeated.

Where the schools differ

The four Sunni schools agree on the main ruling above and differ in these points. No school is preferred here.

  • What is allowed to wipe with. the Hanafi school allows anything from the earth's kind, including stone and sand. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools require earth with dust. The Maliki school allows anything on the surface of the ground.
  • The strikes and the arms. the Hanafi and Shafi'i schools say two strikes, with the arms wiped up to the elbows. The Hanbali school says one strike, wiping the face and the palms, as in the hadith of Ammar. In the Maliki school two strikes, with the wrists obligatory and the elbows recommended.

The evidence

From the Quran

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًۭا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍۢ وَلَٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٦﴾

O ye who believe! When ye rise up for prayer, wash you faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. And if ye are unclean, purify yourselves. And if ye are sick or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or ye have had contact with women, and ye find not water, then go to clean, high ground and rub your faces and your hands with some of it. Allah would not place a burden on you, but He would purify you and would perfect His grace upon you, that ye may give thanks.

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا۟ مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِى سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىٰ تَغْتَسِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا ﴿٤٣﴾

O ye who believe! Draw not near unto prayer when ye are drunken, till ye know that which ye utter, nor when ye are polluted, save when journeying upon the road, till ye have bathed. And if ye be ill, or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or ye have touched women, and ye find not water, then go to high clean soil and rub your faces and your hands (therewith). Lo! Allah is Benign, Forgiving.

From the Sunnah

1 Sahih al-Bukhari 335 Authentic collection

The point of the hadith: The Prophet ﷺ said that the earth was made for him a place of prayer and a means of purification.

Read the Arabic text

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، ح قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ النَّضْرِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا سَيَّارٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ ـ هُوَ ابْنُ صُهَيْبٍ الْفَقِيرُ ـ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا جَابِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ أُعْطِيتُ خَمْسًا لَمْ يُعْطَهُنَّ أَحَدٌ قَبْلِي نُصِرْتُ بِالرُّعْبِ مَسِيرَةَ شَهْرٍ، وَجُعِلَتْ لِيَ الأَرْضُ مَسْجِدًا وَطَهُورًا، فَأَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أَدْرَكَتْهُ الصَّلاَةُ فَلْيُصَلِّ، وَأُحِلَّتْ لِيَ الْمَغَانِمُ وَلَمْ تَحِلَّ لأَحَدٍ قَبْلِي، وَأُعْطِيتُ الشَّفَاعَةَ، وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ يُبْعَثُ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ خَاصَّةً، وَبُعِثْتُ إِلَى النَّاسِ عَامَّةً ‏"‏‏.‏

Read it in the hadith library

2 Sahih al-Bukhari 338 Authentic collection

The point of the hadith: The Prophet ﷺ taught Ammar that it was enough to strike the earth with his hands, blow on them, and wipe his face and hands.

Read the Arabic text

حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَكَمُ، عَنْ ذَرٍّ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبْزَى، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَجْنَبْتُ فَلَمْ أُصِبِ الْمَاءَ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عَمَّارُ بْنُ يَاسِرٍ لِعُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ أَمَا تَذْكُرُ أَنَّا كُنَّا فِي سَفَرٍ أَنَا وَأَنْتَ فَأَمَّا أَنْتَ فَلَمْ تُصَلِّ، وَأَمَّا أَنَا فَتَمَعَّكْتُ فَصَلَّيْتُ، فَذَكَرْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِنَّمَا كَانَ يَكْفِيكَ هَكَذَا ‏"‏‏.‏ فَضَرَبَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِكَفَّيْهِ الأَرْضَ، وَنَفَخَ فِيهِمَا ثُمَّ مَسَحَ بِهِمَا وَجْهَهُ وَكَفَّيْهِ‏.‏

Read it in the hadith library

This is general information, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.

Fiqh questions

Tayammum (dry ablution): when it is allowed and how to do it

Tayammum replaces wudu or ghusl when water cannot be found or cannot be used because of illness. The Quran says: if you do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe your faces and hands with it (5:6). The Prophet ﷺ said that the earth was made a place of prayer and a means of purification.

Is this a fatwa?

No. It is a summary of well-known rulings with their evidence. For your own case, ask a qualified scholar.

What if my school differs from this answer?

Follow the view of the school you follow and the scholar who teaches you. The page lists the differences of the four schools.