12- DRY ABLUTION (TAYAMMUM)
DRY ABLUTION (TAYAMMUM)
When unable to use water, dry ablution is a dispensation to perform the prayer or similar act without lifting one’s minor or major impurity, by the use of earth for one’s ablution.
Three conditions must be met for the legal validity of performing dry ablution.
a) The first is that it take place after the beginning of the prayer’s time if it is for an obligatory prayer or a non-obligatory one that has a particular time. The act of lifting earth to the face and arms (the first step of dry ablution) must take place during that time. If one performs dry ablution when unsure that the prayer’s time has come, then one’s dry ablution is invalid, even if it coincides with the correct time. If one performs dry ablution in the midmorning for the purpose of making up a missed obligatory prayer, but the time for noon prayer comes before one has made up the missed obligatory prayer, then one may pray it (the noon prayer) with that dry ablution (because one did not perform dry ablution for it before its time, but rather performed dry ablution for a different prayer in that prayer’s time, which clarifies why this does not violate the conditions of praying with dry ablution), or one could pray a different missed prayer with it (as one is not required to specify which obligatory prayer the dry ablution is for).
b) The second condition is that dry ablution must be performed with plain, purifying earth that contains dust, even the dust contained in sand; though not pure sand devoid of dust; nor earth mixed with the likes of flour; nor gypsum, pottery shards (which are not termed earth), or earth that has been previously used, meaning that which is already on the limbs or has been dusted off them.
c) The third condition is inability to use water. The person unable to use water performs dry ablution, which suffices in place of lifting all forms of ritual impurity, permitting the person in a state of major ritual impurity (janaba) or woman after her menstrual period to do everything that the purificatory bath (ghusl) permits them to do. If either of them subsequently has a minor ritual impurity (hadath), then only the things prohibited on minor impurity are unlawful for them (not those prohibited on major impurity, that is, until they can again obtain water to lift their state of major impurity, when they must, for the dry ablution is only a dispensation to pray and so forth while in states of impurity and is nullified by finding water).
Inability to use water has (three) causes (lack of water, fear of thirst, and illness).
LACK OF WATER
The first is lack of water. When one is sure there is none, one performs dry ablution without searching for it. If one thinks there might be some, one must look through one’s effects and inquire until one has asked all of one’s party or (if too numerous) there is no time left except for the prayer. One does not have to ask each person individually, but may simply call out, “Who has water, even for a price?” Then one looks around, if on level ground. If not level, one checks on foot within the range at which one’s group could be expected to respond to a cry for help, provided there is no threat to life or property. Or one may climb a nearby hill.
The search for water must occur after the particular prayer’s time has come.
When one checks, does not find water, performs dry ablution, (prays an obligatory prayer with it,) and remains at the place, one need not search again before performing dry ablution for another obligatory prayer (when the next prayer’s time comes), provided one made sure there was no water the first time, and nothing has happened to change one’s mind. But if one did not make sure, or if something has happened to suggest that there tonight now be water, like the appearance of rain clouds or riders, one is obliged to check again for water.
When sure that one can obtain water by waiting until the last of a prayer’s time, then it is better to wait. But if one thinks otherwise, then it is better to perform dry ablution (and pray) at the first of the time.
(This entry’s rulings apply equally to obtaining water for purification and to obtaining clothing to fulfil the prayer’s condition of covering one’s nakedness)
If a person gives or loans one water, or loans one a bucket (when it is the sole means of obtaining the water) then one must accept it, though not if the person loans or gives one the price of these things (because of the burden of accepting charity that it involves),
If one finds water or a bucket for sale at the , usual price for that locality and time, then one is obliged to buy it, provided one’s money is in excess of one’s debts, even if they are not due until a future date; and provided one’s money exceeds the amount required for the journey’s expenses, round trip.
When someone has water he does not need but will not sell, one may not simply take it from him by force, except when compelled by thirst (provided the water’s owner is not also suffering from thirst, and provided one pays him the normal price for it in that locality and time, because one’s need does not eliminate another’s rights),
If one finds some water, but not enough to complete purification, one must use it as far as it will go, and then perform dry ablution in place of the rest. For minor ritual impurity, one uses the water on the face, then the arms, and so forth, in the usual ablution sequence, For major ritual impurity (janaba), one begins wherever one wishes, though it is recommended to start at the top of the body.
FEAR OF THIRST
The second cause of inability to use water is fear of one’s own thirst, or that of worthy companions and animals with one, even if in the future (worthy meaning those whose killing is unlawful, such as a trained hunting dog or other useful animal, while unworthy includes non-Muslims at war with the Muslims, apostates from Islam), convicted married adulterers, pigs, and biting dogs),
Ablution (as well as the purificatory bath (ghusl) is unlawful in such a case. One should conserve one’s water for oneself and others, and may perform dry ablution for prayer with no need to make up the prayer later (provided lack of water predominates in that place.
ILLNESS
The third cause is an ailment from which one fears (that performing a normal ablution or purificatory bath would cause):
1. harm to life or limb
2. disability
3. becoming seriously ill
4. an increase in one’s ailment
5. a delay in recovering from one’s illness
6. considerable pain
7. Or (a bad effect from the water such as) a radical change in one’s skin colour on a visible part of the body.
One may depend on one’s own knowledge (as to whether one of the above is to be apprehended) (if one is knowledgeable in medicine) (though it is not a condition that one be knowledgeable in medicine, for one’s own previous experience may be sufficient to establish the probability that one of them will occur if a full ablution or bath (ghusl) is performed). Or one may depend on a physician whose information concerning it is acceptable (A: meaning one with skill in medicine whose word can be believed, even if he is not a Muslim).
(There are Rulings that have been left in Arabic and deal with a person who has injuries that prevent a normal ablution or bath for one of the above reasons. Strictness on the question (‘azima) is to follow the Shafi’is, while dispensation (rukhsa) is to follow the Hanafi school below).
1. The Shafi’i school is the hardest in this matter, insisting on a full ablution except for the injured part, where a full dry ablution must be performed at the proper point in the ablution sequence in place of washing the injured part, as below.
If someone has a cast or dressing harmful to remove it must be first applied when one has ablution, and thereafter one must wipe it with water when one comes to it in the ablution sequence in addition to performing a complete dry ablution at that point.
Finally, when someone with such a bandage on the members of dry ablution (the face or arms) recovers and has his cast or dressing removed, he is obliged to make up (repray) all the prayers he performed with such an ablution.
2. The Hanafi School requires someone with an injury who wants to pray to make a complete ablution (or bath, if needed). But if this would entail harm, such as one of the things mentioned above, then when he comes to the injury in the ablution sequence, he is merely required to wipe it with wet hands so as to cover more than half of the injury. If this would also entail harm, or if he has a bandage that cannot be removed without harm, or he cannot reapply the dressing by himself and has no one to help him to do so, then he simply wipes more than half the bandage when he comes to it in his ablution. He may pray with such an ablution and need not repeat the prayer later (al-Hadiyya al-‘Ala’iyya (y4) (43-44).
It is not necessary that he be free of minor or even major impurity (janaba) at the time the dressing is applied (al-Lubab fi sharh al-Kitab (y88), 1.41).
3. (There is strong evidence for performing dry ablution (tayammum) in place of washing such an injury. To add it at the proper point of the ablution sequence as a precautionary measure would not interfere with the validity of following the Hanafi position just discussed.)
If it is so cold that one fears an illness or one of the things previously mentioned from the use of water and one lacks means of heating the water or warming one’s limbs up afterwards, then one performs the dry ablution (prays), and repeats the prayer later.
When one lacks both water and earth, one is obliged to pray the obligatory prayer by itself, and later make up the prayer when one again finds water or finds earth, if in a place where dry ablution suffices as purification for a prayer that need not be made up later (such as in the desert).
THE INTEGRALS OF DRY ABLUTION Dry ablution has seven obligatory integrals:
(a) The intention, one intending permission to perform the obligation of the prayer, or that which requires dry ablution (such as carrying the Koran when there is no water for ablution). It is inadequate to intend to lift a state of minor ritual impurity or intend the obligation of dry ablution.
If one is performing dry ablution for an obligatory prayer, one must intend its being obligatory, though need not specify whether. For example, it is for the noon prayer or the mid-afternoon prayer. If one were to intend it for the obligation of performing the noon prayer, one could (instead) pray the mid-afternoon prayer with it (though not both).
If one intends a dry ablution for both an obligatory prayer and a non-obligatory prayer, then both may be prayed with that same dry ablution. But if one’s intention is merely for a non-obligatory prayer, a funeral prayer (janaza), or simply prayer, then one may not pray an obligatory prayer with that dry ablution. If one intends an obligatory prayer, one may pray non-obligatory prayers only, or pray them before and after an obligatory prayer during the obligatory prayer’s time, or after the obligatory prayer’s time has expired.
The intention must occur when one conveys the earth (meaning when one first strikes the earth) and must continue until one wipes part of the face
(b and c) that one’s hands contact the earth and convey it (up to the face and arms, after having shaken the excess dust from one’s hands)
(d and e) to wipe the face (not missing under the nose) and arms including the elbows
(f) to do the above in the order mentioned
(g) and that the dry ablution be performed by striking the earth twice, once for wiping the face, and a second time for wiping the arms.
It is not obligatory to make the earth reach under the hair (of the anus and face).
THE SUNNAS OF DRY ABLUTION
The sunnahs of dry ablution are:
1. To say, “In the name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate”
2. To wipe the upper face before the lower
3. To wipe the right arm before the left
4. And for wiping the arms, (holding the palm, up,) to place the left hand crosswise under the right with the left hand’s fingers touching the backs of the fingers of the right hand, sliding the left hand up to the right wrist. Then, curling the fingers around the side of the right wrist, one slides the left hand to the right elbow, then turns the left palm so it rests on the top of the right forearm with its thumb pointed away from one before sliding it back down to the wrist, where one wipes the back of the right thumb with the inside of the left thumb. One then wipes the left arm in the same manner, followed by interlacing the fingers, rubbing the palms together, and then dusting the hands off lightly.
(This method is not obligatory, but rather any way will suffice that wipes all of both arms,)
One separates the fingers when striking the earth each of the two times, and must remove one’s ring for the second (N: before wiping the arms).
THINGS WHICH NULLIFY DRY ABLUTION
Dry ablution is nullified by both the things which nullify ablution and by the mere belief that one can now obtain water when this belief occurs before one begins praying, such as by seeing a mirage or a troop of riders.
This belief also nullifies dry ablution when it occurs during one’s prayer if the prayer is one which must be later made up, like that of someone at home who performs dry ablution for lack of water (because if one performs dry ablution in a place Where water is generally available during the whole year, it is obligatory to make up one’s prayer, in view of the fact that the dry ablution has been performed for a rare excuse. The rule is that whoever performs the prayer without full ritual purity because of a rare excuse is obliged to make up his prayer, as when the water of a city or village is cut off for a brief period of time during which those praying perform dry ablution, while if one has performed it in a place where water is seldom available during the year, it is not obligatory to make up one’s prayer, as when one performs dry ablution in the desert). But if not of those prayers that must be made up later, such as that of a (desert) traveller who has performed dry ablution, then it (the belief that one can now obtain water, when it occurs during prayer) does not (nullify one’s dry ablution) and one finishes the prayer, which is adequate, though it is recommended to interrupt it in order to begin again after one has performed ablution.
One may not perform more than one obligatory prayer with one dry ablution, whether one of the prescribed obligatory prayers or one vowed, though one may pray any number of non-obligatory prayers or funeral prayers with it.
(Source: The reliance of the traveller” revised edition, Edited and Translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller)
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