from the congregation until he found out the reason.
He therefore asked, “O so-and-so, what kept you from praying with the people?”
The man, thinking his excuse valid, explained to the Prophet ﷺ that he had entered a state of major ritual impurity, had no water, and had therefore postponed the prayer until he could find water and purify himself.
The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Allah, in His kindness, has granted you something that takes the place of water for purification—clean earth—so use it, for it will suffice you in place of water.”
Points derived from the ḥadith
- Tayammum stands in lieu of the full ritual bath (ghusl) for removing major impurity.
- Tayammum is only prescribed for one who has no water or would be harmed by using it. The man’s excuse—lack of water—was presented and the Prophet ﷺ accepted it.
- A person who sees another falling short in an act should not hasten to scold or blame him until he has clarified the cause; the other may have an excuse while you are reproaching him.
- Independent reasoning (ijtihād) in matters of knowledge is permissible even in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ. The Companion thought that anyone in major impurity could not pray until water was found, assuming that the verse on tayammum applied only to minor impurity.
How to Perform Tayammum
ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me on an errand, and I entered a state of major impurity. I could not find water, so I rolled in the soil as an animal would. Then I came to the Prophet ﷺ and mentioned that to him. He said, ‘It would have been enough for you to do with your hands like this,’ and he struck the ground with his two hands once, then wiped the left over the right, the backs of his hands, and his face.”
Unfamiliar terms
- “I rolled in the soil”: he turned about on the ground until dust covered his body.
- “to say with your hands”: in this context, the word “say” means “to do,” a usage common in Islamic parlance and in Arabic generally.
Overall meaning
The Prophet ﷺ dispatched ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir on a journey to attend to a particular need, and he became in a state of major impurity, so he