Step by Step Guide to Performing Tayammum

5 mins read

Outline

In this guideline you will learn:

✅ Meaning of Tayammum

✅ Hadith and Quranic verses about Tayammum

✅ When to perform Tayammum

✅ Step-by-step Guide to Perform Tayammum

✅ Material on which Tayammum is permitted

✅ Material on which Tayammum is not permitted

✅ What factors break Tayammum

Introduction

"Tayammum (Arabic: تيمم‎) is the Islamic act of dry ritual purification using a purified sand or stone or Mud, which may be performed in place of ritual washing (Wudu’ or Ghusl) if no clean water is readily available or if one is suffering from moisture-induced skin inflammation or scaling."

 

Prophet PBUH said,

"We were preferred over people by three things: our rows were made like the rows of the angels, the entire earth was made a mosque for us and its earth is purification if we do not find water."  

(Sahih Muslim)

 

 In the Qur'an, Allah SWT says:

"O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of  Janabah, except those passing through [a place of prayer], until you have washed [your whole body]. And 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 find no water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and your hands [with it]. Indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving." 

(Qur’an 4:43)

 

Thus, in case you are suffering from a moisture induced disease, then even if the water is available, you still do not need to wash. 

When To Perform Tayammum:

Perform Tayammum in place of Wudu’ or Ghusl in the following seven situations:

1. When access to water is impractical and restricted. For example, you are not allowed to use water and you have to perform Wudu’ or Ghusl.

2. When you have insufficient water to use for drinking purposes. For example, using available water for Wudu will leave you with an extremely little water for drinking purpose and thus, put yours and dependent's life at risk of dying of illness or thirst.

3. When the amount of water required to perform basic rituals of cleaning and washing is insufficient.

4. When you're suffering from any moisture induced skin inflammation or scaling then washing your face and hands with water could be detrimental to your health.

5. When available water is either impure or too expensive.

6. When there is a risk involved performing Wudu’ or Ghusl will make you miss the entire or a part of the prayer in the end.

7. When your clothing or body is in a najis (ritually impure) condition and water is lacking for Wudu’ or Ghusl and you are at risk of staying with impurity at the end. 

Step By Step Guide To Perform Tayammum:

Narrated by Ammar: 

“The Prophet stroked the earth with his hands and then passed them over his face and the backs of his hands (while demonstrating Tayammum).” 

Sahih Bukhari (Hadith No. 343)

 

Niyya (The Intention): Make a clear intention as, "I am doing Tayammum in place of Wudu’ (or Ghusl), for the pleasure of Allah and to seek closeness to Him." Afterwards say Bismillah.

 

Niyyah Tayammum:

 

نويت التيمم لا ثتباحة الصلاة فرض لله تعالى

 

I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner.

Step 1: Striking the ground: Strike the palms of both hands simultaneously and lightly on earth, sand, concrete or stone (in order of preference) which is dry and free from any impurities. Here, 'striking' is obligatory, that means placing your hands on the surface used for Tayammum, soil or whatever.

Step 2: Blow into the palms of the hands to reduce the particles therein.

Step 3: Wiping the face (only once): Slide your palms together from the top of the forehead where the hair grows down to the bridge of your nose. Don't miss the cartilage of the upper ear or any part of the face. Wiping over the eyebrows should also be included.

Step 4: Wiping the hands: Then use your left hand to wipe the whole back of the right hand from the wrist bone to the fingertips.

Step 5: Then use your right palm to wipe the whole back of the left hand from the wrist bone to the fingertips.

Material On Which Tayammum Is Permitted:

The Almighty says, 

"If you cannot find any water, then do tayammum with pure earth," 

(Al Qur'an 4:43)

 

Tayammum is done using clean earth pieces. For example, any substance on the earth's surface such as soil, sand, stones, or salt deposits.

 

Other than that, baked earthen pots (unglazed), limestone, clay, taahir (pure) earth, the Tayammum stone, and walls of mud, brick or stone can also be used to perform Tayammum.

Material On Which Tayammum Is Not Permitted:

Tayammum is not permitted on things that are unearthly, such as items that could burn and turn into ashes or items that can be melted by heat.

For example: things like alum, salt, sulphur, iron and copper are not allowed for Tayammum.

What Factors Break Tayammum:

1.    Everything that tends to break Wudu’ or invalidate Ghusl breaks Tayammum, too. For instance, if a person is performing Tayammum and his nose starts bleeding, his Tayammum is broken.

2.    If the conditions that validate tayammum disappear, tayammum is broken. For instance, if you have found sufficient water or the excuse or barrier to use the water disappears, your Tayammum is broken.