Tayammum: the dry ablution
When there is no water, or water would harm you, Allah has made clean earth a means of purification. Tayammum replaces both wudu and ghusl.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا قُمۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغۡسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡمَرَافِقِ وَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِرُءُوسِكُمۡ وَأَرۡجُلَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡكَعۡبَيۡنِۚ وَإِن كُنتُمۡ جُنُبٗا فَٱطَّهَّرُواْۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرۡضَىٰٓ أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوۡ جَآءَ أَحَدٞ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡغَآئِطِ أَوۡ لَٰمَسۡتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمۡ تَجِدُواْ مَآءٗ فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيدٗا طَيِّبٗا فَٱمۡسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِكُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيكُم مِّنۡهُۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجۡعَلَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّنۡ حَرَجٖ وَلَٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمۡ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعۡمَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ﴿٦﴾
Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo itha qumtum ila alssalati faighsiloo wujoohakum waaydiyakum ila almarafiqi waimsahoo biruoosikum waarjulakum ila alkaʿbayni wain kuntum junuban faittahharoo wain kuntum marda aw ʿala safarin aw jaa ahadun minkum mina alghaiti aw lamastumu alnnisaa falam tajidoo maan fatayammamoo saʿeedan tayyiban faimsahoo biwujoohikum waaydeekum minhu ma yureedu Allahu liyajʿala ʿalaykum min harajin walakin yureedu liyutahhirakum waliyutimma niʿmatahu ʿalaykum laʿallakum tashkuroona
O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful
Quran 5:6 · Surah Al-Maida · Translation: Saheeh International · Transliteration: Tanzil.net
The earth has been made for me a place of prayer and a means of purification, so wherever a man of my community is when the time of prayer comes, let him pray.
Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim
When is tayammum allowed?
- No water is available, or not enough for wudu, after a reasonable search
- Illness or injury that water would make worse, on a doctor's advice or from experience
- Danger, for example when reaching water would mean serious risk, or extreme cold with no way to warm the water
How to perform tayammum
- Make the intention of purifying yourself for prayer and say Bismillah.
- Strike clean earth, sand, stone or dust lightly with both palms.
- Blow or shake off the excess and wipe your face.
- Wipe the backs of your hands, the right with the left and the left with the right.
This is how the Prophet ﷺ showed it to 'Ammar ibn Yasir: one strike, then the face and the hands (al-Bukhari, Muslim). In the Hanafi and Shafi'i schools you strike twice, once for the face and once for the arms up to the elbows. Both are valid ways of following the evidence.
What breaks tayammum
- everything that breaks wudu
- finding water, or being able to use it again, before the prayer
Whoever prayed with tayammum and finds water after the prayer does not need to repeat it (Abu Dawud).
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Frequently asked questions
Can I do tayammum on a wall or a carpet?
On anything of the earth's surface, such as stone, brick or a wall of clay or stone, according to many scholars. A carpet or plastic only if it has dust on it.
Does tayammum replace ghusl too?
Yes. Someone who needs ghusl and has no water, or cannot use it, makes tayammum with the intention of ghusl and may pray. When water becomes available, the ghusl must then be done.
This article was written with the help of AI. Quran verses are inserted directly from the Quran text (translation: Saheeh International); it is general information, not a religious ruling (fatwa). For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar. Found a mistake? Write to support@hadaff.de.