The Correct Manner OF Performing Tayammum (Dry Ablution)

The following question was posed to Imām ‘Abdul-‘Azīz ibn Bāz [d. 1420H]

Question:

I would like for your eminence to clarify for us the correct manner of performing at-Tayammum.

Answer:

The correct at-Tayammum is such as Allāhu ‘Azza wa Jalla has stated within Suratul-Mā’idah (5):6

“If you are in a state of Janaba (i.e. had sexual discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole body). But if you are Ill or on a journey or any of you comes from answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse) and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands.”

That which is legislated is that there be one strike for the face and the hands. The description of that is that one strikes the dust with his hands one time, an wipes his face and palms with them, as in the two Sahīhs that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said to ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir (رضى الله عنه):

“It suffices you to strike (the earth) with your hands like this…” [Sunan ad-Dāraqutnī #599]

Then he struck the ground with his hands and wiped his face and palms with them.

It is a condition that the dirt be pure; and it is not legislated that one wipe the arms. Rater, it is sufficient that one wipe the face and the palms due to the aforementioned Hadīth. At-Tayammum takes the place of water in the removal of impurity, according to that which is correct. Hence, one can perform Tayammum and pray with this Tayammum the optional prayer and the obligatory prayer, the present prayer and the subsequent prayer, as long as one is in the state of purity, until one nullifies the purification or finds water, if it was not present for him, or until he is able to use it if he was unable to use it. So Tayammum is a purification which takes the place of water, just as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) referred to it as “purification”.

Source: “Rulings Related to the Traveler” pg. 26

Translated By Abu Musa Raha ibn Donald Batts