سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 6
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿6﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salât (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles. If you are in a state of Janâba (i.e. after a sexual discharge), purify yourselves (bathe your whole body). But if you are ill or on a journey, or any of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse), and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands. Allâh does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favour to you that you may be thankful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوٓا۟
āmanū
believe
إِذَا
idhā
When
قُمْتُمْ
qum'tum
you stand up
إِلَى
ilā
for
ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ
l-ṣalati
the prayer
فَٱغْسِلُوا۟
fa-igh'silū
then wash
وُجُوهَكُمْ
wujūhakum
your faces
وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ
wa-aydiyakum
and your hands
إِلَى
ilā
till
ٱلْمَرَافِقِ
l-marāfiqi
the elbows
وَٱمْسَحُوا۟
wa-im'saḥū
and wipe
بِرُءُوسِكُمْ
biruūsikum
your heads
وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ
wa-arjulakum
and your feet
إِلَى
ilā
till
ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ
l-kaʿbayni
the ankles
وَإِن
wa-in
But if
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you are
جُنُبًۭا
junuban
(in) a state of ceremonial impurity
فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ
fa-iṭṭahharū
then purify yourselves
وَإِن
wa-in
But if
كُنتُم
kuntum
you are
مَّرْضَىٰٓ
marḍā
ill
أَوْ
aw
or
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on
سَفَرٍ
safarin
a journey
أَوْ
aw
or
جَآءَ
jāa
has come
أَحَدٌۭ
aḥadun
anyone
مِّنكُم
minkum
of you
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱلْغَآئِطِ
l-ghāiṭi
the toilet
أَوْ
aw
or
لَـٰمَسْتُمُ
lāmastumu
has (had) contact
ٱلنِّسَآءَ
l-nisāa
(with) the women
فَلَمْ
falam
and not
تَجِدُوا۟
tajidū
you find
مَآءًۭ
māan
water
فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟
fatayammamū
then do tayyammum
صَعِيدًۭا
ṣaʿīdan
(with) earth
طَيِّبًۭا
ṭayyiban
clean
فَٱمْسَحُوا۟
fa-im'saḥū
then wipe
بِوُجُوهِكُمْ
biwujūhikum
your faces
وَأَيْدِيكُم
wa-aydīkum
and your hands
مِّنْهُ ۚ
min'hu
with it
مَا
mā
Does not
يُرِيدُ
yurīdu
intend
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لِيَجْعَلَ
liyajʿala
to make
عَلَيْكُم
ʿalaykum
for you
مِّنْ
min
any
حَرَجٍۢ
ḥarajin
difficulty
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
but
يُرِيدُ
yurīdu
He intends
لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ
liyuṭahhirakum
to purify you
وَلِيُتِمَّ
waliyutimma
and to complete
نِعْمَتَهُۥ
niʿ'matahu
His Favor
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
upon you
لَعَلَّكُمْ
laʿallakum
so that you may
تَشْكُرُونَ
tashkurūna
(be) grateful
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
6. 1 Wash the face, that is, after washing both palms once, twice, or three times, rinsing the mouth, and putting water into the nose and blowing it out, as is established from the hadith. After washing the face, wash the hands including the elbows.
6. 2 Wipe the entire head. As is established from the hadith, move your hands from the front to the back of the head up to the nape, and then bring them forward to where you started. Along with this, wipe the ears as well.
6. 3 The word "ارجلکم" is connected to "وجوھکم", meaning wash your feet up to the ankles!
6. 4 "جنابت" refers to the impurity that occurs due to a wet dream or intercourse with one's wife, and menstruation and postpartum bleeding are also included in this ruling. When the blood of menstruation or postpartum bleeding stops, purification, i.e., ghusl, is necessary to attain cleanliness. However, in the absence of water, tayammum is permitted as is established from the hadith (Fath al-Qadeer).
6. 5 Its brief explanation and the method of tayammum have already been mentioned in Surah Nisa, verse number 23. In Sahih Bukhari, regarding its reason for revelation, it is mentioned that during a journey at the place of Baida, the necklace of Hazrat Aisha ؓ was lost, due to which they had to stop or stay there. For the morning prayer, people did not have water, and even after searching, water was not found. At that moment, this verse was revealed in which permission for tayammum was given. Hazrat Usaid bin Hudair ؓ, upon hearing the verse, said, "O family of Abu Bakr! Because of you, Allah has sent blessings upon the people; this is not your first blessing. (You are a source of blessings for people)" (Sahih Bukhari).
6. 6 Therefore, permission for tayammum has been granted.
6. 7 That is why there is encouragement in the hadith to supplicate after performing wudu. The supplication should be memorized from the books of supplications.
6. 2 Wipe the entire head. As is established from the hadith, move your hands from the front to the back of the head up to the nape, and then bring them forward to where you started. Along with this, wipe the ears as well.
6. 3 The word "ارجلکم" is connected to "وجوھکم", meaning wash your feet up to the ankles!
6. 4 "جنابت" refers to the impurity that occurs due to a wet dream or intercourse with one's wife, and menstruation and postpartum bleeding are also included in this ruling. When the blood of menstruation or postpartum bleeding stops, purification, i.e., ghusl, is necessary to attain cleanliness. However, in the absence of water, tayammum is permitted as is established from the hadith (Fath al-Qadeer).
6. 5 Its brief explanation and the method of tayammum have already been mentioned in Surah Nisa, verse number 23. In Sahih Bukhari, regarding its reason for revelation, it is mentioned that during a journey at the place of Baida, the necklace of Hazrat Aisha ؓ was lost, due to which they had to stop or stay there. For the morning prayer, people did not have water, and even after searching, water was not found. At that moment, this verse was revealed in which permission for tayammum was given. Hazrat Usaid bin Hudair ؓ, upon hearing the verse, said, "O family of Abu Bakr! Because of you, Allah has sent blessings upon the people; this is not your first blessing. (You are a source of blessings for people)" (Sahih Bukhari).
6. 6 Therefore, permission for tayammum has been granted.
6. 7 That is why there is encouragement in the hadith to supplicate after performing wudu. The supplication should be memorized from the books of supplications.
