and I would enter a state of major ritual impurity and remain for five or six days. So I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said: “Pure earth is a means of purification for the Muslim, even if he has no water for ten years. When you find water, let it touch your skin, for that is better.” (1)
Wiping the face and hands in dry ablution may at times substitute for washing the entire body, in the case of a person in a state of major ritual impurity, a menstruating woman, a woman experiencing postnatal bleeding, and the deceased. At other times, it substitutes for washing the four limbs of ablution, in the case of one whose ritual purity has been invalidated. At other times, it substitutes for washing some of the limbs of purification: for example, when one has a wound on one of the limbs of purification and cannot wash its affected area. In that case, he must perform dry ablution in place of washing it.
Dry ablution for a prescribed prayer is not valid until the time for that prayer has begun, and it is not permissible to perform two obligatory prayers with a single dry ablution. For Allah Most High says: “When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces,” until He says: “and if you cannot find water, then perform dry ablution with clean earth.” The apparent meaning of the verse indicates that ablution—or dry ablution when water cannot be found—is required for every prayer. However, evidence establishes an exception in the case of ablution with water, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, performed the prayers on the day of the Conquest of Mecca with a single ablution. (2) Thus, dry ablution remains upon its apparent ruling. This was the view of Ali, Ibn Abbas, and Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them; it was also held by al-Sha‘bi, al-Nakha‘i, and Qatadah. Malik, al-Shafi‘i, Ahmad, and Ishaq likewise adopted it.
A group held that dry ablution is like ritual purification with water: it may be performed before the time of prayer begins, and one may perform with it as many obligatory prayers as he wishes, so long as he has not invalidated his purification. This was the view of Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib, al-Hasan, al-Zuhri, al-Thawri, and the scholars of legal reasoning.
They agreed that, with a single dry ablution, one may perform as many voluntary prayers as he wishes along with the obligatory prayer, both before and after it, and that one in a state of major ritual impurity may recite the Quran. If his dry ablution is due to travel and the absence of water, he must search for water; that is, he must look for it among his baggage and companions.
If he is in an open desert with nothing obstructing his view, he should look around himself. If a nearby obstacle, such as a hill or wall, blocks his view, he should go around it. For Allah Most High says: “and if you cannot find water, then perform dry ablution.” A person cannot be said not to have found water unless he has searched for it.
According to Abu Hanifah, may Allah have mercy on him, searching for water is not a condition. Thus, if a person sees water but an enemy or a wild beast stands between him and it, preventing him from going to it, or if the water is in a well and he has no means of drawing it up, then it is regarded as though it were unavailable. He should pray with dry ablution and is not required to repeat the prayer.