What is Tayammum?
Tayammum is a substitute for wudhu and ghusul which involves the use of earth rather than water to perform the two.
Tayammum in the Holy Quran
فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
…and you cannot find water, then make tayammum with clean ground and wipe a part of your faces and your hands with it. Allah does not desire to put you to hardship, but He desires to purify you, and to complete His blessing upon you so that you may give thanks. (5:6)
Conditions
Tayammum can be performed when:
- there is no water and time for prayer is running out
- when using water is harmful for you
- when there is little time to do wudhu or ghusul, such that if you perform wudhu or ghusul, time for prayer will run out
Method
- Make the intention of performing tayammum.
- Strike or keep both the palms on the object on which tayammum is valid such as
- Wipe the entire forehead with the palms of both hands from where the hairline down to the eyebrows and above the nose.
- Wipe the back of the right hand with the left hand and then wipe the back of the left hand with the right hand.
