´It was narrated that 'Ammar said:` "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stopped to rest at the end of the night in Uwlat Al-Jaish. His wife 'Aishah was with him and her necklace of Zifar beads [1] broke and fell. The army was detained looking for that necklace of hers until the break of the light of dawn and the people had no water with them. Abu Bakr got angry with her and said: 'You have detained the people and they do not have any water.' Then Allah the Mighty and Sublime revealed the concession allowing Tayammum with clean earth. So the Muslims got up with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and struck with their hands, then they raised their hands and did not strike them together to knock off any dust, then they wiped their faces and arms up to the shoulders, and from the inner side of their of their arms up to the armpits." [1] Black and white Yemeni beads.
Hadith Referenceسنن نسائي / ذكر ما يوجب الغسل وما لا يوجبه / 315
Hadith Gradingالألبانی:صحيح | زبیر علی زئی:إسناده صحيح
1؎: Those people may have done this because it is possible that initially this was legislated, then it was abrogated, or those people, based on their own reasoning, did so without asking.
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
315. Commentary:
➊ This narration has already been mentioned earlier (see narration: 311). “Do not dust off the soil, etc.” Dusting off the soil is permissible out of necessity, meaning if excessive soil adheres, then one may blow on it or strike both hands together to remove the excess soil. However, if an appropriate amount of soil remains, then blowing or dusting it off is pointless. In any case, dusting off the soil is not a part of tayammum.
➋ Performing tayammum up to the shoulders and armpits is contrary to other narrations; therefore, some scholars have not considered wiping up to the shoulders, armpits, and elbows as correct, rather, they have declared these words to be irregular (shadh). For details, see: [صحیح سنن أبی داود للألبانی ، رقم : 344 ، 345 ، و صحیح سنن النسائي ، رقم : 315] Some people did this on their own accord, because nothing of this sort is transmitted from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and this action was also done the first time tayammum was performed after the revelation of the ruling, whereas later its method was determined by the Sunnah of the Prophet.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 315
Narrated Ammar ibn Yasir: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ encamped at Ulat al-Jaysh and Aishah was in his company. Her necklace of onyx of Zifar was broken (and fell somewhere). The people were detained to make a search for that necklace until the dawn broke. There was no water with the people. Therefore Abu Bakr became angry with her and said: You detained the people and they have no water with them. Thereupon Allah, the Exalted, sent down revelation about it to His Messenger ﷺ granting concession to purify themselves with pure earth. Then the Muslims stood up with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and struck the ground with their hands and then they raised their hands, and did not take any earth (in their hands). Then they wiped with them their faces and hands up to the shoulders, and from their palms up to the armpits. Ibn Yahya added in his version: Ibn Shihab said in his tradition: The people do not take this (tradition) into account. Abu Dawud said: Ibn Ishaq also reported it in a similar way. In this (version) he said on the authority of Ibn Abbas. He mentioned the words "two strikes" (i. e. striking the earth twice) as mentioned by Yunus. And Mamar also narrated on the authority of al-Zuhri "two strikes". And Malik said: From al-Zuhri from Ubaid Allah bin Abdullah from his father on the authority of Ammar. Abu Uwais also reported it in a similar way on the authority of al-Zuhri. But Ibn Uyainah doubted it, he sometimes said: from his father, and sometimes he said: from Ibn Abbas. Ibn Uyainah was confused in it and in his hearing from al-Zuhri. No one has mentioned "two strikes" in this tradition except those whose names I have mentioned.
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
320. Commentary: Al-Hafiz al-Mundhiri rahimahullah has said that there are two points regarding the hadith of Ammar: either the action of the Companions was in the light of the command of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, or it was based on their own ijtihad (independent reasoning). If this action was based on their ijtihad, then the action of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has been established as contrary to it, and in comparison to the statement and action of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, no one’s statement or action holds any weight. Only the truth is worthy of being followed. If, for the sake of argument, their action was under the command of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, then it is established that it has been abrogated, and there is also an abrogating evidence for it. There is another hadith of this same Ammar radi Allahu anhu. Al-kh.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 320