Tayammum

​Tayammum

​Supposing you were travelling and the time of prayer finds you at a place where there is no water, How would you purify yourself for Swalat? Taking into consideration that swalat is a must for a muslim and is performed at prescribed times; Allah (S.W.T) has given a solution to such an eventuality in the Quran. Almighty Allah (S.W.T) says: “…But if you are ill,or on a journey,or one of you comes from offices of nature,or you have been in contact with women and you find no water,then take for yourselves clean sand or earth and rub therewith your faces and hands.Allah does not wish to place you in a difficulty, but to make you clean…”[Q:5:6]

In reference to this verse, the use of clean sand for purification in preparation for swalat is refeerd to as tayammum.

Even though the word tayammum literally means an aim or a purpose, in this context it refers to dry ablution where clean sand is used to wipe the face and the limbs as an alternative of wudhu’.

Hudhaifa (R.A) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) said: “And the soil of the earth has
 
been made for us as a means with which to purify ourselves (for prayer) when we cannot find water.” (Muslim)

​Reasons for performing Tayammum

​Even though the sharia allows the use of pure sand for purification,it is only permissible on specific occasions.This occasions may be necessitated by the following reasons:

1. In case there is scarcity of water. This is when there is acute shortage of water or the available water is insufficient for performing ablution.
2. For health reasons.If one is injured or ill and fears that use of water will worsen the condition.
3. If the water is too cold and it is likely to cause physical harm to the user.
4. If the process of getting water is dangerous or life threatening.
5. When the available water is reserved for domestic use.
6. Fear of missing a prayer by the time one gets to the source of water.
7. If the the available water is impure.

​Conditions of tayammum

​When performing Tayammum,you should consider the following three conditions:

• One must use clean sand.
• It should be performed at the time of that particular prayer.
• The tayammum of one prayer ends at the termination of that particular prayer e.g one cannot use tayammum of Dhuhr for another prayer.

Essential steps of tayammum.

Besides the three conditions of perfoming Tayammum,the following steps should be followed while in the actual process:

• You must make the intention of performing tayammum.
• Strike the first heap of pure soil lightly with the palms of both hands and passing the palms over the face one time.
• Strike the second heap of pure soil with one’s palms and rubbing the right and left arms alternately from the fingertips to the elbows.
• Follow the order above.

Nullifiers of tayammum.

As you learnt earlier, wudhu can be nullified by certain acts. Do you remember some of these acts? Similarly,thre are acts that if done will nullify tayammum.These acts include the following:

• All that nullifies wudhu will also nullify tayammum.
• As soon as the cause for performing it is removed (i.e., the sick person recovers or pure water is found).
• Performance of fardh prayer. A Muslim is not supposed to perform two fardh prayers with the same tayammum.
• When one denounces Islam.