Answer: When the time for prayer arrives and a person has cold water whose chill is still bearable, so that he can perform minor ablution with it even though it causes some slight discomfort, he must perform minor ablution and pray, for he has water and nothing prevents him from using it.

If, however, the water is so cold that it is unbearable and one fears it may harm his health, then—provided he has something with which to heat the water, such as firewood or any other heating device—he is required to heat the water, perform minor ablution, and then pray.

But if the water is extremely cold, cannot be tolerated, and there is nothing available to heat it, he should perform dry ablution and pray, and he must not delay the prayer until daytime, as some people do, because it is not permissible to let a prayer pass beyond its appointed time except for someone who intends to combine prayers in a situation where combining is allowed.

Delaying the prayer merely so that daylight will come and the water’s chill will lessen is not permitted. Rather, if he has no means of heating the water, he must perform dry ablution and pray according to his circumstances.

Question: Does this ruling apply to purification from both minor and major ritual impurity?

Answer: Yes, it applies to both major and minor states of ritual impurity.

Question: If they were able to endure the cold water, or had the means to heat it but did not do so, are they required to make up the prayers they previously offered with only dry ablution?

Answer: Yes. If they performed dry ablution and prayed while they could have heated the water, they must make up those past prayers, because in their case dry ablution was not valid.