Question:
The water is very cold, and there is a fear of catching a chill. Can one perform tayammum?
Answer:
If it is not possible to perform wudu or ghusl with cold water, there is a fear of illness, and hot water is also not available, then one may perform tayammum in place of wudu and ghusl.
❀ Sayyidina Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
إن رجلا، أجنب فى شتاء، فسأل فأمر بالغسل فاغتسل فمات فذكر ذلك للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: ما لهم قتلوه قتلهم الله ثلاثا قد جعل الله الصعيد أو التيمم طهورا.
“A man became junub in the winter season. He asked a question, and he was ordered to perform ghusl. He performed ghusl and died. This matter was reported to the Prophet ﷺ, and he said: May Allah destroy them; they have killed him (he said this three times). Allah has made the earth or tayammum a means of purification (purity) for you.”
Imam Ibn al-Jarud (may Allah have mercy on him) (128), Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) (273), Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) (1314) and Imam al-Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) (165/1) have declared this hadith “sahih,” and Hafiz al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) agreed with them.
❀ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 728 AH) says:
إن التيمم بخشية البرد جائز باتفاق الأئمة.
“There is consensus among the imams that if there is a fear of catching a chill (in wudu and ghusl), then performing tayammum is permissible.”
